Of Ribbons and Roses
by pachirisu
Summary: After an unfortunate season in Johto, May heads to Sinnoh in hope of better luck. Also there is Drew, whose previous season was easily the antithesis of May's. Who will come out on top in the region of Super Contests? ContestShipping.
1. Chapter 1

Drew's feet hit the concrete of the pier as another wave of nausea washed over him. He ran to the edge, clinging on to the railing for dear life as the contents of his stomach came up. Feeling slightly less queasy, he stood up straight, face pale and sweaty. He stood for a minute, washing the waves crash into the side of the structure. With a few reassuring pats on the shoulder from old, friendly ladies, he made his way to the end of the pier and onto the soft snow landing in the city.

He was never particularly good with any form of travel, especially boats. This journey had been extremely unpleasant- the rough northern seas surrounding Sinnoh were hell to travel on as per usual, but with a storm blowing in, the waves were bigger and more treacherous. Drew, along with several others, had braved the night on the deck, hoping the icy air would calm their stomachs, but only ended up getting colder and sicker.

At least he'd made it here before _her_.

He had never been in Sinnoh before, and wandered slowly towards the general direction of the Pokémon Center, it's orange illuminated roof sticking out among the white snow that covered the city. A sign by the dock informed him that this was indeed Snowpoint City, which is where he hoped he was arriving. He regretted his decision to come here now- it was even colder than the north of Johto, which he wasn't a huge fan of. He had deliberated over multiple locations when booking tickets. The south of Sinnoh was warm and more easily accessible, both to other parts of the region and from Hoenn, but he had thought that the northern reaches would be good for more intensive training. He was wrong- he would be going south as soon as he could find a more agreeable mode of transport.

The automatic doors of the Pokémon Centre slid open, and he made his way into a surprisingly empty centre, heading straight for the counter. Nurse Joy wasn't there, but after waiting for a few moments, she arrived, sweat dripping from her forehead.

"Apologies for the wait!" She greeted kindly, her breathing ragged. "I was just finishing dealing with an exhausted Venusaur. It pushed itself too hard while training. You know what these coordinators are like with their art!"

"I know all too well," Drew mumbled, leaning against the counter himself to steady himself. He could feel his legs going weak, and was desperate to sleep. "Ah… my Pokémon don't need healing, but I'd like to rent a room for a few days."

"That's fine! As you can see, there's not much traffic up here. Here's your key, enjoy your stay!"

"Oh, and I have another question. Is there a contest hall in the town?" Nurse Joy's eyes widened slightly, realizing her previous mistake.

"Y-yes! Head north, and you'll see it, just around the corner from the gym!"

"Thanks," Drew said coolly, taking the key from the counter and leaving the Centre swiftly.

He would be quick, he promised himself, rushing through the snow towards where he thought the contest hall might be. He grabbed his PokéNav from his jacket pocket, opening his calendar and marking the 28th of August. The contest season began in four days, and he had made it into the region and was about to register before most coordinators even decided enter. As he went further into the city, paths appeared, and he could refrain from walking through the slush that made his shoes wet. The contest hall came into sight as he entered the street with the gym, causing his spirits to lift considerably. It was nice aesthetically- better than many of the halls in Johto, which he didn't really _get_ on an artistic level.

The glass doors had strangely fashioned icicle handles, which he assumed was to tie in with the city itself. They dug into his palm as he pushed the door open, and he was greeted by small squeals from the receptionists and the few coordinators who were in to practice. He recognised Zoey, who had won the last Sinnoh Grand Festival, and the odd other face, though no names came automatically to him. He headed straight for the reception, still in fear that his legs would give out on him.

"Can I register for the season here?" He asked, trying to be as casual as he could.

"Of course! Can I see your contest pass please?" The receptionist asked, taking his card when he presented it. She scanned it through the machine, bringing his contest history up onto the screen above the counter.

"Well, Mr. Hayden, that's you all set!" She said, handing his pass back to him. "This is your ribbon case, and Ball Capsules! As we operate on a super contest basis here in Sinnoh, it's recommended that you use these in each contest, in both the appeal round and the battles. We also require you to wear a costume, but I'm sure you already knew that. Do you want me to explain the rules to you?"

"No need, but thank you," Drew said, lifting the case and capsules and putting them into his bag.

"Good luck this season, then, and of course, congratulations for last year!" The receptionist said quickly, bowing her head slightly. Drew rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"Thanks."

He exited quickly before anyone else could try to talk to him. He still felt bad about Johto. He probably shouldn't have won and become Top Coordinator, but he did, in some weird twist of fate. The whole season he had been doing pretty well, winning against most opponents, apart from the one he wanted to beat the most. She stood in his way the whole way to the top, but the Grand Festival didn't go too well for her. She fell at every hurdle placed in front of her, and despite her being the better coordinator over all, he won the whole thing, and she was left with nothing.

Even thinking about it made Drew's stomach pang with guilt. He hated what had happened, and if he could go back in time, he would warn her about all the things that would go wrong. But he couldn't, and he couldn't even see her now to reassure her that things would be okay. She had promised through teary eyes that she would try again in Sinnoh, but they hadn't been in contact since that day. He didn't to push her too hard to get back into coordinating, but the thought that she might quit because of what happened made him want to curl up and cry.

He wandered back to the Pokémon Centre, ready to collapse on his bed. The lobby seemed even emptier than before, with only one person remaining in the room, on a sofa beside the emergency room. He automatically assumed that it was the Venusaur's trainer, and since the person didn't look up, he assumed again that the person was upset. He was about to walk past them when he remembered.

 _"You know what these coordinators are like with their art!"_

No, it couldn't be. He tried to subtly walk past, while simultaneously looking directly at them. The person was definitely female and definitely was a brunette, but aside from that, he couldn't gather if it was her or not. Without wanting to ask, or say anything at all, he continued walking, hoping that if it _was_ her, she wouldn't have noticed him.

"Andrew Hayden, if you dare walk past me again and pretend you don't see me, I'm gonna kick your ass!"

Oops.

He backtracked quickly, eyes glancing away from her. He hadn't emotionally prepared himself for this conversation at all, especially not now. He just wanted to sleep- his illness on the boat had exhausted him, and walking about in the snow had put a damper on his mood. Drew sat down opposite May, eyes finally meeting hers. She hadn't changed at all from the last time they had seen each other- scowl and all. He didn't know where to start, what to say, so he avoided coordinating all together.

"I guess that's your Venusaur then?" He asked, gesturing to the emergency wing.

"Right," she sighed, running a hand through her hair. "I thought it'd be good to get some extra training in now, since we have a long way to go before the Grand Festival. We've trained here before, me and Venusaur- in fact, this is where she evolved. But… well, we pushed it too hard." Her eyes fell to her knees and her fists clenched, and Drew felt suddenly sorry for her.

"That's a shame," he said lamely. "I was hoping to do some training here too, but I think I'll just head south."

"You won't go anywhere quickly from here," May snorted. "There's a bus once a day to Hearthome City, and apart from that you'll have to walk. The first contest is in _four days_ Drew, there's no way you'll make it in time!"

"Where are you going for your first contest?" He asked, catching her off guard.

"I was thinking Floaroma Town. I heard it's really pretty there. It's a week's walk from Hearthome, I heard."

"I might start there too, then," he said, offering her what he thought was a warm smile, but ended up being weak and shaky. "Of course, we all know who will win if we enter together," he added with a flick of his hair.

"Of course it'll be you, Top Coordinator Drew, who is oh so humble and down to earth!" She announced, rolling her eyes. "By the way, you look really ill. You should go to bed."

"That's where I was going before you yelled at me."

"Oh." Drew peeled himself from the sofa, heading for the small corridor to the right of the room where the bedrooms were located.

"When are you heading to Floaroma Town?" He asked suddenly, turning back to face May.

"Probably tomorrow. Why, are you coming with me?" She teased.

"If I can put up with you the whole bus journey, it'll be good mental training."

"Oh, shut up!"

* * *

The queasy feeling that had resided in his stomach the whole of the previous day was gone when he woke up, and he stretched happily. It was approaching noon, and he knew he would have to leave soon. His schedule was completely thrown off already. He had planned to spend a week here in Snowpoint, and head south in time for the Eterna contest, but there was no hope of that happening. Even if May hadn't been here, he still would've fled south, and recalibrated his schedule to fit. The Snowpoint contest was due to take place in January, after the midseason break, and he hoped he would be well enough on track to skip it entirely.

May was waiting for him in the lobby, tapping her foot impatiently. In her hand, she held a Pokéball, presumably Venusaur's, and she had a backpack on her back instead of the other stupid bag she carried around. She had also opted for different clothes this time around- a yellow top with ruffles, black leggings and a huge red cardigan. It wasn't really weather appropriate, but since they were both from the most tropical of regions, he couldn't really say anything.

"How long does it take you to get ready?" She questioned, folding her arms impatiently.

"It takes time to look beautiful, but obviously you wouldn't know."

"You are probably the most pretentious and arrogant person I've ever had the misfortune of meeting."

"You flatter me," Drew said, not even trying to hide his smirk. May managed to glare even harder than before, if that was even possible.

"Anyway, we have to go. The bus leaves at one, and now we won't have time to get food!"

"You have your priorities straight as ever, I see."

"Let's go, Drew," she said, sighing exasperatedly to effectively end the conversation.

The traversed their way through the snow towards the edge of the city. It seemed deeper than yesterday, and the odd snowflake continued to fall from the sky. The outskirts of the city were plagued by a constant blizzard, and at least a foot of snow lay untouched by the side of the road. The bus stop stuck up through the snow, with only one other person standing at it. May and Drew took this to be a good sign, as this couldn't only mean the bus hadn't arrived yet. They waited in a neat line, fishing through their bags for money.

The bus pulled up less than five minutes later, and they climbed aboard in trepidation. They paid their fares and sat down, near the back but not quite. Another three people arrived to get on the bus before it pulled away, heading straight into the blizzard. Drew attempted to stare out the window, but everything was white. As soon as the snow hit the glass, it melted, running down the window leaving trails behind. Occasionally he spotted a dark shape, probably a Pokémon, moving around outside, but he couldn't be sure. May had been silent the whole journey so far, so he turned slowly to look at her.

"I missed you, you know," he admitted. Her hazel eyes flashed up to meet his own. She narrowed them slightly, before deciding he was being sincere, and smiling softly.

"I missed you too. But I'm not sure I missed you being an asshole all the time."

"I am _not_ an asshole!"

"Well, you're not the worst person I've met, anyway. That award definitely goes to Harley."

"I'm going to have to agree with you there." She laughed at this, before her mouth set in a straight line once more.

"What's the betting he's competing in Sinnoh too?"

"Pretty high," Drew said. The mood dropped quickly, with both May and Drew knowing the implications of Harley being in Sinnoh.

"Well!" May said, clenching one of her fists. "I'm just going to have to do better than him then."

"That's the spirit."

"It'll be fine. Maybe this is my year!"

"Listen May, about Johto…"

"I don't want to talk about Johto," she snapped, cutting him off.

"But-"

"I'm over it, okay? There's nothing I could've done about it."

"I just thought you might've wanted to talk about it."

"I don't."

"Okay."

Drew leant his head against the window, with May taking her PokéNav out and immersing herself in whatever was on BuzzNav. The cold glass against his cheek prevented Drew from falling asleep, so he watched the snow fall until it disappeared all together, replaced by the crisp mountainous terrain of Mount Coronet.

"Do you know where this is?" Drew asked May.

"Mount Coronet," she answered swiftly. "It's right in the middle of Sinnoh. We're not too far from Hearthome now." She switched off her PokéNav, looking out the window beside Drew. "Did you register up in Snowpoint?"

"Yeah," Drew confirmed with a nod.

"So you found out that everyone has to dress up, right?"

"Right."

"Have you got any ideas? Most coordinators wear the same costume for every contest, apart from ones like the Wallace Cup or the Grand Festival."

"No clue. I've only seen female coordinators costumes, so I'm kinda at a loss for what to do."

"Find a suit and jazz it up, or something. You'll be fine."

"I'm sure I'll look fine," Drew said, a smirk appearing on his mouth.

"Can you do anything but praise yourself?"

"I could praise you, but I have a feeling you wouldn't appreciate that."

"You'd be right."

* * *

The bus pulled into Hearthome City as the evening drew in, with both May and Drew, and many of the other people travelling on the bus, almost asleep. The bright streetlights, however, woke Drew out of his stupor, and he excitedly shook May back onto the same plane of existence.

"We're here!"

The city swept out in front of them, and to Drew, the centre of the city had to be its contest hall. It stood out- bright pink and shining in the artificial light. The rest of the city was mundane in comparison to it, with its lights and obvious grandeur. Drew was genuinely surprised he'd never seen it before, with all the coverage on the TV of the Sinnoh contests. He'd watched all the important ones from the previous seasons during the break, picking up everything important he could. This building had never cropped up, even in interviews outside.

"That's one of the biggest Contest Halls in Sinnoh," May said matter-of-factly. "The only one bigger is the Lake Valor one, I think."

"That's where you competed for the Wallace Cup, right?"

"Yeah," she replied, smiling fondly at the memory.

"I watched that contest. With Solidad. You were really good then."

"…thanks. It wasn't my best performance, but I can admit it was pretty good."

They got off the bus, stepping into the city. The air down here was distinctly different than that up in Snowpoint, and Drew was elated that his nose didn't feel as though it was going to fall off. May pulled her cardigan around her tighter, protecting herself from the evening air. They slowly made their way through the bus station and into the main body of the city.

It was clear to any passerby that they were tourists; they spent the whole time staring at the buildings that covered the city from top to bottom. The gym was clear- a huge Drifblim made up the front. There was a poffin stand, and May made Drew stop for a moment while she bought some. He was surprised she didn't eat herself, as she tucked them away inside her pocket. They walked past the contest hall, and this time it was Drew that made May stop, asking her to take his photo outside the building. He stood outside the door, while she stayed on the path, and he posed for the photo. He grabbed his PokéNav from May, checking the photo was okay.

"Thanks," he mumbled.

"I've never seen you get so excited about something before," May commented.

"I'm just looking forward to this season. Everything is gonna be great. Especially if we get to compete in venues like this one!"

"I'm guessing you have the Hearthome contest booked in then?"

"You'd be right," Drew said, sharing a smile with the brunette.

"I'll see you here then. We better meet in the finals, top coordinator Drew!"

"Don't you worry… we need to get you a title, stat."

"I don't need a title until I'm top coordinator too."

"Well, I'll have to think of one," Drew said, staring into space for a moment while he thought. "They call you the Princess of Hoenn, right? So I'll just call you Princess."

"That's really embarrassing, Drew," she said covering her face with her hands.

"Well, princess, I'll have to leave you now to die of shame, because I have places to be." He produced a rose from his jacket pocket, holding it out to her. "I… uh, wish your Beautifly all the best this season."

"Hah!" May snorted. "Nice try, Drew, but I don't have Beautifly with me! I'll see you around. Don't forget about Floaroma, okay?"

"I won't. Bye, May."

He brushed past her, leaving her standing to admire the Contest Hall for a while longer. He would have rather stayed there himself, but truth be told, the bus journey had messed up his insides, and he wasn't too keen on standing outside in the evening cold with the threat of his stomach emptying itself again. He practically powerwalked to the Pokémon Centre, leaning against the counter casually until a Nurse Joy came out. This Centre was a lot busier than the Snowpoint one, with people dotted about on the sofas, relaxing by themselves or talking with their friends.

"Please tell me you have a room free," Drew begged, as soon as she put in an appearance.

"Would you like one?"

"Please." The key was set in front of him, and the Nurse Joy smiled.

"Enjoy your stay!"

Drew casually ran up the stairs, trying his hardest to act cool. This wasn't particularly one of his talents, as much as he tried to look good outside (it was in case of cameras, okay?). He managed to keep his façade up until he unlocked his room, where he promptly threw open the en suite door, leaning over the toilet. Nothing happened, and Drew sunk onto the floor anticlimactically. He pulled his PokéNav out, opening up his Instagram, and posting the picture May took earlier. He tagged her in the corner of the picture, and added a caption.

"Look out Sinnoh, Drew Hayden is gonna win again!"

* * *

 **COORDINATORS WEEKLY**

 **TOP HOENN COORDINATORS SPOTTED IN HEARTHOME!**

* * *

 _A/N: I love Drew a lot. The next chapter will be from May's POV, and the one after that will be Drew's again, etc etc. Also, coordinators totally use Instagram, fight me on this. Please review if you enjoyed!_


	2. Chapter 2

The route to the cycling road was all fun and games, until May spotted the mountain looming on the horizon. The area near the city was quiet, with a tiny house, and a berry field not dissimilar to those in Hoenn. She sighed out loud when she saw the flight of stairs, and almost cried when figuring out she had to go through the cave to get to where she wanted to be.

A helpful Hiker pointed her on her way, and she thanked him profusely before reluctantly making her way into the cave. Luckily for her, she could see the exit wasn't too far away, and decided to try and relax as she made her way through the cave. The ceiling was covered in Zubat, and if she didn't look at them, May could pretend they weren't there.

A flash of pink made May turn around, looking for the disturbance. She could have sworn it was a Pokémon, but it had all but disappeared in the few moments it took her to realise it was there. She took another few steps forward, and then she could see it, a tiny Clefairy, peering out from behind a rock. She stepped forward yet again, and the Pokémon shrunk behind a rock, closing its eyes.

"It's okay," May comforted, kneeling down to be a similar height to the Fairy Type. "I won't hurt you." The Clefairy took a step out from the protection of the rock, waddling gradually slower towards May. She reached a hand out slowly, and the Clefairy stepped forward, placing it's own tiny hand into May's.

"Would you like to come with me?" May asked cautiously. The Clefairy hesitated for a moment, before nodding slowly. May pulled an empty Pokéball from her pocket, tapping it gently against the Fairy Pokémon's head. It disappeared in a flash of red light, and then the Pokéball was still.

"Alright!" May exclaimed, smiling at the ball in her hand. She pocketed it quickly, heading for the exit just in front of her.

* * *

It was dark by the time she reached the other side of Mt. Coronet. May found herself quickly becoming tired, and decided it was best to set up camp. In the distance, there was a small cluster of tents, with a variety of different trainers wandering about outside them and setting up a fire. She wandered towards it, hoping it would be okay for her to also stay here for the night. Tomorrow, she would be in Eterna City, and the Pokémon Centre and its comfy beds were calling her name.

"Hey, excuse me?" She called, and a few trainers looked up. "Can I stay here for the night? I don't want to set up camp on my own."

"Of course you can!" A girl exclaimed, running towards her. "The more the merrier!"

The girl only looked about ten, and was clearly excited to have an elder trainer in the area. The rest of the camp looked younger than fifteen, and May felt old. Eighteen wasn't that old, especially considering she'd already been in three different regions to compete. Disregarding her insecurities, she pulled her tent and sleeping bag out of her bag, setting up quickly, and joining the others around the fire.

"What's your name?" The younger girl from earlier asked. "I'm Lauren!"

"My name is May. It's nice to meet you all," she replied sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head.

"I knew I knew you!" A boy, one of the oldest, exclaimed. "You're that coordinator. The one that was pegged to win the Johto Grand Festival last year, and then you lost in the preliminaries."

"Yes, that's me," May sighed, balling her hand up into a fist. "Hopefully I'll have better luck in this season here though!"

"Cool! You're a coordinator! I'd love to do that!" Lauren exclaimed, shuffling closer to May.

"Well, there's nothing stopping you, is there? If you put in a lot of hard effort, you'll be ready to enter contests in no time!"

"Can you show me a combination?"

"Maybe tomorrow. It's too late to be able to see anything right now."

"Aww, come on!"

"I promise I'll do something in the morning, okay?"

* * *

May decided that training was probably the best option after she packed away her tent. Lauren tagged along hopefully beside her, and May sent out her Clefairy, hoping that she could come up with something in time for the Floaroma Contest. Not only would a cute Pokémon like Clefairy win her loads of points, but it would also surprise Drew. She lifted out her Pokédex, scanning Clefairy to find out its moves.

"So, Lauren, this Pokémon is new to me, so I've never made a combination with it before. It currently knows Disarming Voice, Cosmic Power, Wake Up Slap and Sing. This will be hard to begin with, but once we get the hang of working together, I'm sure Clefairy and I will be able to get an amazing combination going!" Lauren nodded enthusiastically, and May took up a stance behind Clefairy.

"Alright, use Cosmic Power!" It got dark suddenly, and Clefairy created lights surrounding itself, looking like pictures of outer space that May had seen in books. "Now, try Disarming Voice!" Clefairy opened its eyes, the spatial effect still staying in place. The noise that came from Clefairy's mouth was less than pleasant, but nonetheless, the illusion broke, scattering a glitter effect through the air. "And that's that! Thank you Clefairy," May said, giving the Pokémon a rub on the head.

"That was so cool!"

"Well, I tried. But if I do it again in future, I won't use Disarming Voice. I won't get good points with that!"

May returned Clefairy to its Pokéball as another idea came into her head. It would take intense training to work, but the quicker she got to Floaroma Town, the quicker she could start working on it. She lifted her bag, and waved copious apologies to Lauren, promising to stay in touch.

"Good luck on your journey!" She wished, before turning away quickly.

* * *

May skipped sleeping in the Pokémon Centre the next night, as much as she was looking forward to the bed. Eterna Forest loomed in the distance, and she was determined to get there as quickly as she could. With her rented bike, she cycled through to the entrance of the forest, setting up camp there. Unfortunately for her, there was no one else camping in the area, and she had to settle down with the uncomfortable noises from the forest just beyond. She had coped with this many times in Johto, but for some reason, the wildlife scared here in Sinnoh scared her. Maybe it was because so much of it was different to that in other regions, or maybe she was just being a wimp.

The forest itself, when she actually got round to exploring it, was easy enough to navigate. She quickly figured out that her worries from the previous night were pretty much unnecessary- most of the Pokémon there se had seen before, and some, like Wurmple and Budew, she had either owned or known someone that trained one. The sight of the Budew playing beside tiny purple flowers reminded her of Drew, and she angrily shook the thought out of her head before moving towards the exit.

From the top of the hill, Floaroma Town and its surrounding area were clearly visible. May gasped quietly when she saw the overwhelming amount of flowers. She's seen pictures in her travel guide of the town, but not one had shown the beauty of town in this light. She raced down the hill, dodging trainers and Pokémon, and crossing the rickety wooden bridge that connected the town to the route she had just come down. She skidded into the town, eyes wide at the sight. Early evening had arrived already, painting the sky a light purple as the sun set.

May checked into the Pokémon Centre, glad for once that her room had a window to the outside world. The meadow was clearly visible from her room, and May admired the bug Pokémon floating lazily across the horizon. Her eyes cast across the surroundings, until she caught sight of a familiar crop of green hair seated with a Roserade at the far end of the meadow. She rolled her eyes quickly. Of _course_ he managed to get here before her. She lay down on her bed, rolling over to face away from the window. She would just have to beat his ass at the contest.

* * *

After a few weeks of training, both in the town and in the forest, and a large amount of time avoiding Drew, May was ready to take on the first contest of the season. She packed her bag with her contest outfit, specially brought from Hoenn. Her mother had insisted on sewing it, so she could look her absolute best while competing. Dressing up all fancy for contests wasn't something she was at all used to, and having to do her hair and makeup and make sure her nails were perfectly manicured.

She dragged herself over to the contest hall in the morning, ready for the regular twelve o'clock start. The corridor for coordinators promptly split into male and female dressing rooms, and May managed to squeeze into the female one, with little room to spray. It was all go- hairspray filled the air, and different garments were being thrown about by indecisive coordinators. May managed to seclude herself into a corner, and get her dress on before the majority of the coordinators left the room at precisely eleven thirty. May wondered if this was a Sinnoh superstition, as there were still some girls left in the room. She wandered towards the mirror, running a brush through her hair, touching up her makeup (which had the sense to do before she arrived) and attaching a bow to her hair. She sidled out of the room, two Pokéballs stuck to her side.

The coordinator's lobby wasn't as full as the dressing room made May imagine. The group of over excited girls hovered near the entrance to the stage, but the rest of the room was fairly empty. The TVs on the walls showed the arena was filling up quickly, and an eager presenter took the audience through the ins and outs of the contest. As twelve loomed closer and closer, a hand fell on May's shoulder, causing her to spin quickly.

"For… whatever Pokémon you're using today. I wish them the best of luck," Drew said, holding out one of Floaroma's famous flowers.

"Thanks, Drew. You look… great!" She said, trying to suppress a laugh. It was strange to see Drew out of casual clothes, and his face turned red at her compliment. He had gone with her earlier advice, and bought himself a suit, though he was only wearing the trousers and waistcoat. In the pocket of the waistcoat was a blue rose, and his bow tie had been covered in red glitter.

"You don't think it's too much?" He asked, pulling at his collar.

"Have you seen what some of the other coordinators are wearing?" May said, glancing around the room. "That girl is wearing a literal ball gown, and that guy has a cape. I think your glittery bowtie is just right."

"Says the girl whose skirt sticks out at ninety degrees," Drew teased, leaning against the wall next to her.

"It was my mom's idea," May admitted sheepishly, pulling her top down to cover her stomach more.

"It's cute."

"…Thanks."

The screens suddenly went dark, and then flashed up again in glorious colour. May moved instinctively towards the door, watching the screen carefully as she went. Drew aligned himself with her, and they watched, waiting as the MC yelled into the camera words of welcome.

"Welcome, one and all to this, the annual Floaroma Pokémon Contest, with me, your host, Marian! It's a warm welcome to this, the third contest of the season here in Sinnoh, and for many of our coordinators this year, their first contest! Let's get right to it and introduce our judges!" May turned to Drew slowly, not paying any attention to the judges. They weren't the same as usual, with Mr. Contesta and Mr. Sukizo taking on judging in the Unova region for the first ever circuit there. Instead, Johanna, a famed coordinator from Sinnoh's past, and Fantina, the former Hearthome Gym Leader, took their places, with the town's Nurse Joy taking up the third seat.

"Are you nervous?"

"No way. If anyone should be nervous, it should be you, because you're going to lose," Drew said, flicking his hair. "Anyway, I'm going to play it safe today. Masquerain and then Roserade. Sticking with what I know."

"That might be a good plan," May pondered. "For me, I'm doing the opposite. Going with a surprise for the appeals!"

"Your unpredictability hasn't always worked out though, has it?" Drew asked, a hint of concern creeping into his voice.

"It'll be fine," May reassured, as Marian reappeared on the screen.

"We welcome our first coordinator to the stage, Alice, from Sandgem Town!" One of the excitable girls squealed before running onto the stage, Pokéball clasped in her hand. May turned her attention up to the screen, where she appeared on the stage, throwing her Pokéball, which burst in a flash of light, releasing not only an Abra, but a huge cloud of Heart Seals.

"I don't really get seals," Drew commented, eyeing the Pokéball May was holding. His own Pokéballs had seals on them too, but he rolled his eyes every time they were mentioned.

"They're supposed to be an extra layer of performance. You should match your Seal to your Pokémon," a girl from the group in front commented, turning around while simultaneously flicking her hair. "Where are you from if you don't know about Seals, the back end of Kanto?" She laughed, turning back to her friends.

"Hey, there's no need to be mean! He's never coordinated in this region before!" May exclaimed.

"Leave it, May."

"So where are you from? Or are you nobodies from Kanto who couldn't even win a contest over there?"

"We're from Hoenn."

"Clarissa, shush!" One of her friends said, grabbing her arm and pulling her backwards. "Have you been reading Coordinators Weekly recently? Do you even know who that _is_?"

"No, but clearly him and his fan club of one are hicks!"

"That's Drew Hayden, winner of the last Johto Grand Festival!"

"Shut up, Emily. He may have won overseas, but this is Super Contests now! You don't stand a chance," she sneered, before turning to face her friend, who just returned from the stage.

"Well, either you're a rookie, or you didn't win enough ribbons last season to qualify for the Grand Festival, and that's why you're still here," Drew retorted, and May had to bite back a laugh.

"Next up, we have Drew, a well known coordinator all the way from Hoenn!"

"That's my cue."

"Good luck!" May called, and he nodded, giving her a half smile.

"We're expecting great things from Drew this season, as one of the winners of last season's four Grand Festivals! Let's see what he pulls out in Hoenn!"

"Masquerain, let's go!" He threw his Pokéball high into the air, it opening up in a shower of bubbles to reveal his beloved Masquerain. "Use Bubble!" The Bubbles Masquerain produced contrasted in colour to those from the seal, creating reflected light all over the arena. "Now, Silver Wind!" The Pokémon spun quickly, whipping up the sparkling wind to pop the bubbles. The air sparkled with Water Vapour, and Drew took a bow, returning Masquerain to its ball.

"What did you think?" He asked, returning to May with a smirk.

"It was great!"

"I hope you don't think that's going to win you any points," Clarissa said, glaring at Drew down her nose. "Here in Sinnoh, simple moves like that won't work. I'll show you."

When it was her turn, she did just that, releasing a Houndoom in a cloud of fire and smoke. She used Fire Blast and then Dark Pulse, creating an eerily beautiful atmosphere in the arena. She returned promptly, glaring at drew from under her fringe.

"See? That's how it's done." She trotted off, her heels clicking in syncopation.

"As if we didn't have enough to deal with with Harley," May commented, and Drew snorted. "She is good, though."

"You'll just have to do even better."

When it was May's turn, she took to the stage, trying to win the audience over with smiles and waves. She released her Clefairy in a shower of baby pink hearts that the Pokémon popped on the way to the floor. It was a risk to use such an undertrained Pokémon, but what she was attempting to do was even riskier.

"Clefairy, use Metronome!" She called, and she could practically hear Drew roll his eyes in despair. The Pokémon waved its fingers cutely, before calling an Icy Wind, which froze the sparkles in the air from Clefairy popping the seals. The glitter was trapped in a perfect archway above Clefairy, framing its cuteness perfectly. "Now, use Wake Up Slap!"

Clefairy hit along the sculpture in perfect synchronization with May's commands, carving it into a cleaner arch and creating diamond dust in the process. May curtseyed after a moment, returning Clefairy and turning quickly off stage.

"Trust you to rely on Metronome. Is that your signature move or something?" Drew said, smirking. "But honestly, it was amazing. How did Clefairy know how to do that? And when did you even get a Clefairy?"

"A week and a half ago?" May said, thinking back to the time she was in Mt Coronet. "As for how she could do that, we practiced with all my Pokémon for any eventuality. She can do that stuff with fire, grass, ice, you name it!"

"Well, I take my hat off to you. I think you somehow managed to upstage me."

* * *

The results for the appeals round came in almost as soon as the last coordinator performed, giving the competitors very little time to relax. Photos of each coordinator appeared on screen, May's appearing second, losing only to Clarissa. May watched Drew's face closely as the final pictures came in, only for his not to appear. His eyes widened slightly, and then he closed them.

"Drew?"

"It's fine. You can't win every time. Like she said, maybe my appeal wasn't showy enough for Sinnoh." He smiled widely at May, trying to cover up his anger at not getting through. "You better beat her though. I know you can." May nodded tersely, trying desperately to figure out if he was upset or not. He grabbed one of her hands suddenly, squeezing it lightly before dropping it hastily and marching robotically to the dressing room.

May had to wait another ten minutes before her battle was called. This format was the same as in Hoenn, so she felt comfortable as she took her end of the battlefield. The screen told her she had five minutes, and she smiled the whole way through the battle, and the next, defeating each opponent with ease. There was a buzz from both the audience and the crowd backstage- she was a relatively unknown coordinator in Sinnoh, and to come to the finals in her first Super Contest was a feat in itself. And it wasn't by a stroke of luck; either- she rightfully won her place there.

And now she was standing in the final round, Glaceon's Pokéball firmly in her hand, standing across the battlefield from Clarissa. She had spat toxic insults at May about Drew before parting ways to come onto the stage at opposite ends. May wanted to beat her in this moment more than she wanted to defeat Drew all of the way through Johto, and she knew that with her Glaceon, she would at least have the type advantage.

"We've brought this contest to what I'm sure will be a nail biting final!" Marian announced, standing in the middle of the battlefield. "On our left, we have May, from Petalburg city in Hoenn! And on our right, we have Clarissa, from Sunyshore City! Let's have a good fight, you two! Let's…go!"

"Glaceon, take the stage!" May called, tossing her Pokéball into the air. Glaceon appeared in a cloud of white smoke that sparkled against Glaceon's icy coat.

"Sunflora, let's get busy!" Clarissa responded, causing May to snort at her catchphrase. It was an exact copy of the announcers from Kanto, and for all her big talk about Super Contests, she certainly idol worshipped Lilian.

"Glaceon, use Ice Shard!" She commanded, and Glaceon leapt into action, using its super effective move right off the bat.

"Sunflora, dodge, and go for a Solar Beam!"

"Use Shadow Ball and spin!" This was one of May's staple moves from her previous seasons, and it always hit its mark. The spinning made the move more powerful and faster, and Sunflora didn't stand a chance. It stumbled backwards, firing Solar Beam off into a random direction.

"Disgusting! Sunflora, use Razor Leaf!"

"You know how to deal with this, Glaceon! Ice Shard!" Razor Leaf flew towards May's Pokémon, but Glaceon stopped it mid air; freezing the leaves and making them drop to the floor. Glaceon stepped on one with its paw, and it shattered, leaving only glittery shards in its wake.

"Come on Sunflora, step it up! Use Petal Dance!"

"A risky move," May commented. "Glaceon, use Mirror Coat!" The petals flew gracefully through the air, depleting May's points significantly. But then the petals bounced off Glaceon's barrier, flying back towards Sunflora. "Follow it up with Ice Shard!" The two moves combined in a devastating attack of beauty, causing the last of Clarissa's points to disappear.

"And that's it, folks!" Marian called, stepping into the middle of the field again, right beside a struggling Sunflora. "In a shocking win by point depletion, May from Petalburg City is the winner of the Floaroma Contest!"

* * *

 _A/N: Nice B) get ready for some hardcore shippy stuff next chapter! and please review if you liked this one! c:_


	3. Chapter 3

Drew got up from the back row of the audience as soon as the battle was over, knowing it would be mere minutes before the rest of the crowd would spill out into the lobby. He took up a vigil beside the entrance to the coordinator's lounge, waiting for the winner of the competition herself.

As the audience made their way through the lobby, some making their way straight for the door, and some hovering about, waiting for a friend, Drew heard comments and criticism about every coordinator in the contest. Many were praising May, citing her as an up and coming star in the region. There was high praise for Clarissa as well- clearly she had gathered supporters already. But of course, he heard comments about himself, and they weren't good.

Of course, starting afresh in a new region with completely different rules is going to be hard, and losing your first contest would be a blow to any coordinator. But after the high of the Johto Grand Festival, and all the expectations of him this year, losing in the appeals round was the worst possible thing he could imagine. May winning the contest only made him feel worse. Not that he wasn't happy for her, but it only proved how unfair the Grand Festival in Johto had been. She was a superior coordinator, so why-

"Drew!" He snapped his head up, nearly breaking his neck, and was faced with May.

"Hey. Congratulations. You really deserved that win," he commented, nodding sincerely.

"Thanks. But… are you okay? It must be weird, not getting through preliminaries," she asked, adjusting her hairband nervously.

"It is. But I'll get over it. There's plenty more contests for me to enter, right?" He said, flicking his hair in his usually arrogant way.

"I'm glad to hear that. Eterna contest next for you?"

"Probably. Will you not be there?"

"I might skip it. I'm headed to Sandalstraw Town. It's a good while from here, but I have a lot of work to do. Don't forget that the big contest of the year is the Hearthome Contest!"

"I won't. That's the ribbon I _really_ want to win."

"Well, you're just going to have to fight me for it!" May jeered, smirking victoriously. The win here had given her a boost of confidence, and she was ready to beat Drew at each and every contest in Sinnoh.

"You wish," Drew smirked. "Anyway, I had something else I wanted to ask you." He paused for a moment, wringing his hands nervously. "Do you wanna… go get dinner with me this evening? I saw this really cute place near here and… well, it might be kinda busy. And I understand if you don't, but…"

"Drew!" May said, effectively cutting him off. "I'd love to. You better be paying, though!"

"You better not be eating me out of house and home, May. Let's go now, then."

* * *

The restaurant was a lot fancier than they expected, and May's oversized cardigan and Drew's turtleneck were deemed unacceptable. The pair traipsed back to the Pokémon Centre, dreams momentarily crushed. After ten minutes, they met up again in the foyer, dressed up, and mooched back to the restaurant, money in hand and smiles on their faces. They were immediately given a table (perhaps someone had pointed out who they were to the waitress) and menus were thrown hastily in front of them.

"Well, princess, what are you having to eat?"

"I told you not to call me that, _Andrew_ ," May hissed, glaring across the table at him. "I don't know what any of these dishes are. I just eat noodles and rice most of the time, I'm not rich like you!"

"I'm not rich," Drew protested quietly.

"Yes, you are, Mr 'I can by a three piece suit just to cover it in glitter like it's no problem at all'!"

"Says you, Miss 'I carry an evening dress in my backpack'!" Drew shot back. May flushed red, pulling at the neckline of her dress. It was true, she did, but she expected to use it at contest after parties and if she was popular enough, the occasional interview. Never in a million years did she expect to be wearing it on a date with Drew.

"You're carrying around fancy clothes as well, so don't dare be condescending to me."

"Whatever. Let's just drop this."

"You do have more money than I do though," May pointed out.

"That's because you spend all your money on food."

"Or because your parents are rich."

"Shut it, May."

"Fine. I'm not complaining though, since you're paying for this."

"I'm not paying for anything if you don't order anything."

A large round of 'happy birthday' went up from the other side of the room as May pondered over the menu. She hummed along quietly, and Drew couldn't help but smile as she stared absentmindedly at the booklet. He blinked quickly, staring at the other people and what they were eating. He tapped his fingers quickly on the table, trying desperately to distract himself from May and her expressions. She ended up pouting at the menu, and turned it over.

"Can you just order for me?" She asked.

"Sure." He poured himself a glass of water from the jug the waitress left on the table, picking it up with shaky hands. He sighed as he set it down, ignoring the look May was giving him. "What?"

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah."

He cursed himself and his bad luck. Of course he would realise how pretty she was and how funny she could be when he was out with her on a situation that looked a lot like a date! He was just glad Roserade wasn't here- she would just make everything worse.

* * *

"You're leaving already?"

"Got to get to Eterna City quickly," Drew excused.

"I suppose the contest is in just under a week," May sighed. Did she sound… disappointed? Drew shook his head quickly, trying to dispel the thought from his head. "Well, good luck! I hope you win this time."

"So do I," Drew said, laughing dryly. "Well, I best be off. Good luck in… Sandalstraw Town? Who knows, I might even join you."

"I might see you there, then," May said. "Bye, then!"

"Bye, May."

Drew turned on his heel, and left the town, headed in the direction of the forest. He didn't really know where he was going, but at this point, away from May was enough. He wanted to stamp his feet and scream like toddler. Both her winning the contest and his sudden realisation that he might _like_ her was enough to send his brain into overdrive. One part of him hated her for beating him; another part had nothing but admiration for her, especially for beating Clarissa. And yet another part was a mess, a fluffy feeling that filled him whenever she looked at him. And he hated himself for it.

The path to Eterna Forest was mostly uphill, and Drew found himself out of breath after a few minutes. He took multiple breaks, and after a while, let Roserade out of her Pokéball to keep him company. She ended up finding Budew along the route, and Drew sighed in exasperation, kicking himself for finding a Pokémon with such a short attention span. He whistled sharply, and Roserade snapped to attention, skipping to catch up with him.

The forest was chilly, and he got lost a number of times before making it to the other side. It was noticeably colder in Eterna than in Oreburgh, despite the latter being surrounded in stone. Regret immediately filled Drew's chest- the wind was biting, and he didn't have a coat. Not that he was going to but a coat, though- that would make him look _uncool_.

He could spot the contest hall easily as he passed over the bridge into the main body of the city. It was little over a week until the contest, and as he couldn't register yet, he merely admired it from the outside. It was a lot simpler than the one in Hearthome City, with its glittery roof and electrified grandeur. This one was calmer, and seemed to reflect the city itself in one building. Its roof had no trace of glitter, in fact, upon closer inspection, Drew saw that it was covered in tiny plants. Solar panels were strategically placed on four spires coming from the top of the building to collect the sun as it moved around.

Similar roves could be spotted all over the city, and Drew had to hand it to Sinnoh for being so environmentally friendly. Hoenn had to be one of the sunniest regions he'd ever been in, and he couldn't think of as many solar panels in one place. Not to mention that the entire city had thin trees lining the footpaths and standing decoratively in the parks. Drew admired the city- not only was it beautiful, but it was _functional_ , and the fact that a city could do that shocked him.

The cold was still a problem, however, and he crossed his arms over his chest in an attempt to keep some semblance of heat in. He spotted a tiny boutique on the corner of a street near the Pokémon Center and dashed inside, praying that they had some sort of layer he could wear. He knew he would need it if he went any further north than this. Luckily for him, the shop was stocked with a myriad of clothes, and after trawling through the rails for a good hour, he selected the perfect coat- black and understated, but still warm and above all, waterproof. He paid quickly, and walked back into the cold, this time not noticing it quite as much.

The sun was setting now- he'd walked a fair distance very quickly, wanting as far away from May as he could get. Pink and orange clouds tinted the sky, and a statue over the hill became immediately obvious to him, despite not seeing it earlier. He made his way through the now quieting streets, heading in the direction he hoped the statue would be. He came to the foot of a small hill, with a set of stairs leading up to the statue.

He scaled them quickly, standing in awe of the statue that looked a lot bigger in person. It was a Pokémon, most definitely, but Drew wasn't sure of what it was. He looked at the plate on it's base, which was rubbed and worn with time. He ran his hand over the letters curiously. Some words were legible, but others were barely discernable, and Drew assumed that this statue had been there for a long time.

"I didn't know you were interested in mythology," a calm voice came from behind him. He turned around quickly, not expecting to see who was standing there.

"Solidad!"

"Nice to see you, Drew." She scaled the final few steps, standing beside Drew. She was still slightly taller than Drew, despite the amount he had grown over the past six years, and he tutted slightly under his breath. "This is Dialga, one of the legendary Pokémon that's at the core of Sinnoh mythology. It's supposed to control time."

"Has anyone ever seen it?" Drew asked skeptically, raising an eyebrow. "I mean, our legendary Pokémon are definitely real, and they control the weather, but I'm pretty sure there isn't a Pokémon that can control time," he scoffed, folding his arms.

"There have been sightings of it over the years," Solidad confirmed with a solid nod. "Like it says here- 'the same time flows on, for it is the blessing of Dialga.' There's another Pokémon that controls space as well, and if I remember correctly, a third that controls some sort of alternate dimension."

"Are you not from Kanto?" Drew questioned dubiously. "How do you know so much about this?"

"I have my sources," Solidad laughed, revealing a toothy smile. "Also, I can read books."

"Let me guess, you arrived in Canalave City and spent a while studying in their library?"

"Correct. It was a very interesting experience to say the least."

Drew sighed, shoving his hands in his pockets. The sun had finally set behind the statue, and the night sky had appeared almost without him noticing. The stars were visible, which surprised Drew, since in any city in any other region he couldn't see the stars. The city continued to surprise him, and as bioluminescent lights flickered on along the footpaths, Drew couldn't help but smile.

"I saw that last contest," Solidad said darkly, turning slowly to Drew. "I thought your appeal was pretty good, but apparently that doesn't cut it in Sinnoh. All the other appeals were so much showier. I have no idea how May managed to win the thing."

"It's because she's better than me," Drew admitted, trying desperately not to choke on his words. "She takes more risks than I'm willing to, and they all seem to pay off." He sighed deeply, turning to walk back into the heart of the city.

"Are you upset?" Solidad asked, her motherly side coming through.

"A bit."

"You shouldn't be so hard on yourself. That appeal would've got you through any appeals round in Hoenn, Kanto or Johto. But Super Contests… well, from what I've seen in the three contests I've watched, you need to go big or go home. I liked your suit, though."

"Thanks," Drew mumbled, glaring at the ground.

"Tell you what, Drew. We'll train together. If you focus all your attention on a flashy appeal, the battles round will be a breeze for you."

"Are you entering the Eterna Contest?"

"No. I'm saving my efforts. I want a five contest clean sweep like I've done in every other region, so I'm waiting until I feel ready. Got to keep that record spotless!" She laughed, and Drew rolled his eyes. Trust Solidad.

"Fine, then I'm okay with it. Tomorrow."

"Got ya. Are you staying in the Pokémon Centre?"

"Yeah."

"Good, then I'll meet you in the lobby at eight a.m. sharp."

"Don't you think that's a bit too early?" He complained, dragging his feet along the pavement in protest.

"Drew, if you want to win this contest, you better get to work, and if that means eight a.m. starts, then you have to just suck it up."

"Fine, _mom_."

* * *

Eight a.m. appeared a lot quicker than Drew would've liked, with his alarm going off half an hour before and having to practically throw himself down the stairs. At least he was dressed, and at least Solidad was standing in the lobby, two takeaway coffees in hand. She was smiling at him, but he knew her well enough to know this was the smile that was followed by torturous training. He swallowed hard before approaching her, knitting his eyebrows together.

"I figured you'd need it," she said, handing the disposable cup to him.

"You'd be right."

"Let's go then. I have a lot planned for you."

"Great," Drew said sarcastically, rolling his eyes and rubbing his forehead with his free hand.

"Do you know what Pokémon you're going to use?"

"Not a clue. I was planning on using Roserade for the battle round last time, and I'd still like to stick with that. Maybe Absol?"

"That could work," Solidad hummed, sipping her coffee as they neared the battlefield at the back of the Pokémon Centre. At this time of day, it was practically empty, and was the perfect venue to practice over the top combinations. "Stand in the middle, and try Butterfree for me."

"Butterfree? I've never used her in an appeals round before. She's more of a battler, when I know my opponent relies more on strategy than power."

"Exactly," Solidad said smiling that knowing smile of hers. "You have a comfort zone when it comes to coordinating, Drew, and you have to get out of it _now_. Super Contests are different. Now, do as I said!"

With yet another eye roll, Drew did as she commanded, and made his way to the centre of the dirt battlefield. It felt different, standing like this without the crowd and the lights and the general contest feel. Drew lifted Butterfree's Pokéball, and tossed it into the air, releasing the Butterfly Pokémon into the air, where it hovered just half a foot above Drew's head.

"Okay, now what?"

"Do a combination."

"But you said I wasn't showy enough."

"I can't help you unless I see what you can and can't do. Your Butterfree's moves are going to be different to mine, so I need to see you do something."

"Fine. Butterfree, use Silver Wind!" The move was a standard of Drew's and it floated through the air, surrounding Butterfree's in a shimmery quality. "Now, Psychic!" Suddenly Butterfree's eyes glowed, and then the wind stopped. "Spin!" Butterfree moved on the spot, and with the Psychic, the Silver Wind attack moved in opposite directions, creating a huge tornado of sparkles around the Pokémon.

"That was great! How come you didn't do that at the Floaroma Contest?" Solidad asked, clapping lightly as Butterfree came to a stop.

"Because I never thought of using Butterfree before for an appeals round. Her moves are more for support than anything."

"What are the others? Maybe we can incorporate them."

"Rain Dance and Tailwind."

"Why Rain Dance if you don't have any Water Types?"

"I originally intended to have one, but I thought my other Pokémon did fine without one."

"Put that top of your priority list for after the contest," Solidad recommended firmly. "I want to see this water type extravaganza in a double battle some day."

"I will."

"Anyway, we can work with these. Try Rain Dance for me, Butterfree, please!" Solidad commanded softly, and Butterfree chirped happily before performing the move. A cloud appeared over the battlefield, and rain poured down onto Solidad and Drew.

"It's not very powerful, because we rarely have to use it," Drew excused.

"No, it's perfect," Solidad said, a knowing smile passing across her lips. "In fact, I have the perfect idea!"

* * *

Solidad forced Drew into all day training until the contest came about, when she still insisted he got up early so she could give him 'gentle reminders', as she put it, about what to do and not to do during the contest. It turned into more of a lecture, before Drew realised the time and quickly excused himself, Solidad promising to watch from the audience.

He registered just in the nick of time, and went through to the dressing room, throwing his 'costume' on and joining the others in the coordinator's lounge. There were potted plants scattered about the room, but other than that, it was pretty empty. Only a few coordinators had gathered thus far, and Drew found a good position at the wall to lean against. He spotted one of the girls from Clarissa's gang at the Floaroma contest, but luckily for him, she herself didn't seem to be putting in an appearance. Closer to twelve, the lounge filled up with many coordinators, most of which he hadn't seen before.

A loud cheer went up from the audience, and casting his glance up to the screen, Drew saw that Marian had stepped onto the stage, and was giving her opening speech.

"Welcome one, welcome all to our Eterna City Pokémon Contest! We're here in this lovely, recently refurbished contest hall to celebrate Pokémon and coordinating, and the winner of today's event will get this, the Eterna Ribbon!" She held it high, and Drew's heart sped up. He wanted it so badly- he just needed to catch up to May. "Without further ado, let's kick off today's festivities!"

The group of coordinators moved instinctively towards the door, and the backstage helpers called one girl's name. She scurried along a long corridor- this was different to the Floaroma contest, Drew noted. He would have to be ready as soon as his name was called. Butterfree was in her Pokéball in his pocket, and Drew put a shaky hand into his pocket to check it was still there.

"Drew Hayden?" His head shot up as he heard his name, and he walked towards the man with a clipboard, who then relayed a message, presumably to Marian. He traversed the corridor, trying to control his shaking. His legs felt heavy, and he mentally kicked himself. Drew Hayden, nervous? As if!

He threw himself onto the stage as Marian called his name, trying to look as enthusiastic as he could, even if just for Solidad's sake. He threw Beautifly's Pokéball, and the Pokémon erupted in a cloud of black smoke.

"Rain Dance!" He called, and the Pokémon spun, making the clouds rise. It was just as they had choreographed- so far, so good. "Psychic!" The clouds stopped, the rain stopped, and the breathing of the audience stopped. "Now, let go!" Everything tumbled to the ground, gravity taking the better of it. Sparkling puddles lay at Drew's feet, and the audience broke into applause. He felt gratified, that maybe Solidad was right, and this appeal would do it for him.

He stepped backstage again, watching the rest of the appeals. There was a lot of tough competition, including a Flygon of a girl that he knew to see, but couldn't quite place. There was a Wooper than managed to completely flood the stage despite it's small size, and an Umbreon that shined even before using any moves. Drew bit his lip, feeling increasingly more nervous.

The interval came, and most coordinators escaped out the back for fresh air, or into the dressing rooms to fix their appearance for the second round. Solidad managed to sneak into the lobby, and sidled up to Drew, who didn't even see her approach.

"Boo."

"Solidad."

"How's it going? I think you did really well."

"So did everyone else," Drew pointed out.

"Well, I think you probably did enough to get through."

"Here's hoping."

Solidad stayed, holding her ground as the rest of the coordinators filed in to hear the results. The pictures came up on the screen one by one. The Wooper's trainer. Flygon girl. A Rapidash, and an Aromatisse, and the Umbreon. A boy that he could've sworn wasn't there before. Clarissa's friend, and a trainer with a Meowth and another one trailed across her shoulders.

"That's it folks! These eight trainers will be going on to compete for the Eterna Ribbon!"

No Drew.

He stared blankly at the screen, as other people moved on, either to get ready for their battle or to join the audience for the second round. But he couldn't move, stuck to the ground by some invisible force. He had failed, _again_. And this time, he had failed Solidad as well. Solidad, who was yelling obscenities at anyone who would listen, about how Drew's appeal was better than everyone else's.

"Drew, I am so sorry. I've let you down. I'll repay you, I promise!"

"Will you listen, you asshole, I'm telling that this guy is a top coordinator- no, I'm not taking your shit! This is unfair, he deserves a place!"

"Mr. Contesta, I know you can't do anything now, but please!"

"Fuck you! This isn't fair on him!"

Solidad managed to miss the tears rolling slowly and silently down Drew's face.

* * *

 _A/N: poor baby. Sorry for the late update, I'll be back on time next week! Please review if you enjoyed it! c:_


	4. Chapter 4

May punched the number into her PokéNav, pacing nervously up and down her room at the Pokémon Centre until the person on the other end picked up. Her eyes stung with tears as she heard the familiar 'hello?', and she took a deep breath before speaking.

"How are you?" She asked, trying to stop her shaking hands.

"I'll be fine." The other voice was shaking, and May closed her eyes tight so she didn't have to imagine the face that matched.

"I wish I could be there right now. I wish I hadn't come to Sandalstraw Town. I wish-"

"May, there's nothing you can do," Drew replied. "Solidad already yelled at every official she could find, and they couldn't do anything."

"I could _be there_ for you, though," she mumbled, sitting cautiously on the edge of her bed.

"By calling you've done enough. So thank you."

"I can't believe you didn't get through again though. Your appeal was stunning, way better than mine last time, and way better than any of the others."

"Solidad reckons it's fixed. They don't want me winning again, so they're not letting me through."

"Do you think that?" May asked nervously, biting the skin around her nail on her forefinger.

"Not really," he says with a despondent sigh. "I think I've just hit some kind of wall, and there's something about my Pokémon that just isn't working."

"Maybe you need to catch a new Pokémon," May suggested.

"Solidad said the same thing. I'm definitely going to look into it." There was a pause, and May almost thought that he'd hung up on her.

"I'm really sorry, Drew."

"Stop apologizing. This has nothing to do with you. But I'm glad of your support." She can practically hear him smile, and somewhere in the background a cheer goes up. She glances towards the TV- the first battle has been won. "Maybe you shouldn't stay for the rest of the battle. Why don't you head over here?"

"No. I want to figure out what I'm doing wrong. And I think the only way to do that is by watching the rest of the contest."

"Fair enough." May sighed deeply, drumming her fingers against her thigh. "If you need me, I'm only a phone call away, okay?"

"Okay. Thanks again, May. You really… you really cheered me up."

"That's what I'm here for!"

"I'll call you later, maybe?"

"I'll be here," she said softly, and she quickly realised how _weird_ that came out, and corrected herself- "I'll be here!"

"Talk later then. Bye."

"Bye." He hung up before she finished the word. She threw her PokéNav onto the bed beside her, holding her head in her hands. She felt bad for Drew- all the way through Hoenn, and even all of Kanto, he had been the superior coordinator. They were pretty much on par through Johto as well, but now he was falling behind, and she was soaring ahead.

She lay down on her bed, exhaustion kicking in after the adrenaline rush that involved checking up on Drew. It was still early in the afternoon, but she wanted to sleep. The glare of the sunlight was harsh, and she stared out the window, hoping that sleep would magically come for her. It didn't, of course, and after twenty minutes she pushed herself up, wiping the drowsiness out of her eyes. She turned her attention briefly back to the TV- it was now the semi final round. She switched it off, glaring at her reflection in the black screen.

It was strange, she thought, how upset she was that Drew was losing. In their Hoenn days, she would've been over the moon at the mere thought of it, and probably would've gloated in his face if they had been near each other. Even in Johto, she had laughed on the one occasion that she had beaten him in a contest (the only one they had entered together). But now, she was on the verge of tears, because she knew he was upset. How they had changed, she thought, almost bitterly.

* * *

Drew never called her again. She awoke the next morning with this thought in her head, and immediately checked her PokéNav for missed calls, but the screen came up empty. She didn't want to bother him, though, so she set the device back on the cabinet, turning away swiftly. She had her own contest to think about, after all. It was still a week and a half away, one of the mid week contests, but she had to focus. She had done okay in Floaroma Town, but that was only one contest. She could easily fall into the same rut that Drew was in with one slip up. She was determined. She could win this time, she was sure.

With the air of confidence that was usually elsewhere, May marched into the training field at the back of the Pokémon Centre. She needed to perfect a new appeal by the time the contest rolled around, but nothing immediately sprung to mind. The thing she so desperately wanted to try with Clefairy wouldn't be ready, so she put that to the back of her mind, mentally labeling it 'Grand Festival'. It may not even be ready by then, and she would have to find another Pokémon that could participate, but…

She shook her head quickly, ignoring it for the time being. After all, she still had most of a year to figure out exactly what she was doing. She tossed Blaziken's Pokeball into the air. It had been a good while since she had used the Pokémon for an appeal's round- back at the very start of her journey in Johto. She relied on Blaziken more for battling- the Pokémon was tough. But he was also capable of creating beautiful scenes with his fire type attacks, and May decided to settle on that for this contest.

Clarissa's appeal at the Floaroma contest may have inspired her, but the scariness of her Houndoom was enough to put May off repeating a similar appeal. The Blaze Pokémon chirped loudly, snapping May out of her momentary daze.

"Sorry, Blaziken," she apologised, patting the creature on the arm. "Are you up for doing an appeals round with me?" He cawed again, eyes crinkling up. "I'll take that as a yes!" May scooted back a few paces, leaving Blaziken in the middle of the field.

"Alright, use Blaze Kick!" Flames erupted from the base of Blaziken's leg, and he kicked out into mid air. "Hm. Try… try Sky Uppercut!" Blaziken nodded in understanding before following through on her command. The attack left a blue trail behind in mid air, and something clicked in May's mind.

"Okay! I've got it!"

* * *

May fell onto her bed that evening, admiring the sunset out the window. She grabbed her PokéNav from the cabinet, and wasn't surprised to see missed calls from the time she had spent training. One was from Drew, just a few minutes ago. But the other three were from Dawn, spread out across the whole afternoon. She quickly called her back, sitting up straighter on her bed.

"Hello?" The familiar voice came.

"Hi, Dawn! It's May."

"I know. Caller I.D.," Dawn explained with a laugh.

"Right. Anyway, I'm sorry for missing your calls this afternoon. I was kinda busy training, and I left my PokéNav inside."

"Hey, no need to worry! I just wanted to congratulate you on your win in Floaroma Town! That was my first Sinnoh Contest win too, y'know?"

"Really? Oh wow, that's so cool! And thank you, it means a lot. We trained hard for that competition!"

"And it's clear it paid off! So anyway, where can I expect to see you next?"

"Sandalstraw Town. They have multiple contests throughout the year, and even though it's pretty out of the way, I thought I'd give it a go!"

"Oh cool! I might come and watch in person, then! We could meet up before hand and get coffee or something!" Dawn suggested, her enthusiasm clear in her voice.

"Wait, you're in Sinnoh?" This was news to May. The last she had heard, she was in Hoenn, doing that circuit.

"Didn't you hear? I moved back for a few months to train. I entered a contest, won one, and then decided to try a 'Solidad Clean Sweep' as my mom called it. It's not going well though, and I'm not sure that I'm cut out for coordinating any more. Maybe I should've been a Pokémon Stylist." May could hear the disappointment in Dawn's voice, and rushed to reassure her.

"Dawn, you came second in your first Grand Festival! That's so much better than I did! Look at me; on my fourth run of a contest circuit and I haven't come further than top four! Honestly, I don't know why you're doubting yourself."

"Well, I just have to give it a shot," she sighed, muttering something incoherent as an afterthought. May didn't press her on it, ignoring the mumbling in favour of rolling her eyes.

"I'd love to meet you again, though!" May encouraged. It had been almost a year since they had crossed paths. "I'll be here until the contest, so come find me any time!"

"When is it again?"

"Next Wednesday."

"Then I'll be here next Tuesday! I know a cute café there, it's kinda out of the way, but it's always quiet."

"Alright! Well, I guess I'll see you then!"

"Bye!" Dawn hung up the phone with a click, and May stared at the screen, now filled with her contacts list. Right under Dawn was Drew's name, and her finger hovered over the call button before she eventually pressed it. She brought the receiver up to her ear, and waited while the call connected to Drew's phone, if he was even there to pick it up. He was, and the microphone crackled into life as he spoke.

"Hey, May." It was as casual as he could get, but May could still hear how upset he sounded. She supposed because she had heard him talk so much before she was used to the inflections of his voice (and also because he never shut up), and she had only heard him this upset once before.

"Hi, Drew. I'm sorry I missed your call." It wasn't just a formality, but it held an element of truth, and May sighed quietly. "I was out training. I was gonna call you in the morning, but I didn't want to bother you."

"You wouldn't have been bothering me, don't worry," he insisted with a laugh.

"Anyway, is there a reason why you called?" She asked, expectation making her voice rise a little.

"Not really. I just wanted to let you know that I'm feeling a lot better. Also, I'm making my way to Sandalstraw Town as we speak. I won't be entering the contest, don't worry, but I'd like to hang out. Maybe watch you train."

"We can train together," she suggested.

"That'd be nice."

There was an awkward pause, in which May leaned back against the headboard of her bed. It was her turn to speak next, she supposed, but words seemed to escape her. Instead, she sighed lightly, a contented sigh. It was _nice_ to talk to Drew like this, when they weren't fighting over one thing or the other. She was glad they had put all that behind them, and discovered that they could finally get along.

Shit.

Her face heated up rapidly, changing colour from peach to pink to red in a matter of seconds. Her hand shook slightly, and she had to hold onto her wrist with her free hand to stop her dropping her PokéNav. There was no way that after _all this time_ she had fallen for Drew? No way. That was practically impossible! She had despised him for so long- he was rude and insufferable back when he was eleven. To now have a crush on him was just _wrong_. It was like betraying a past self. But in this sudden moment of realisation, May knew that she was right.

"Uh, May?" Drew prompted.

"Sorry. I just realised how hungry I am, and how I should go get dinner," May excused desperately.

"It's eight p.m. though."

"I was out training, like I said."

"Well, whatever. I should probably stop soon too, and set up camp for the night. I'll be with you on Monday, okay?"

"Fine by me," she said casually. The way he worded it sounded so _romantic_ , and she wanted to make up and excuse to leave Sandalstraw Town until the contest.

"Alright. I'll see you then."

"Bye, Drew."

She hung up quickly, and had to fight the urge to throw her PokéNav at the wall. She was half tempted to call Dawn back and tell her all the news, but she didn't want to bother her friend with the feelings that she may or may not have just realised. Instead, she dragged herself downstairs, and out of the Pokémon Centre, praying to Arceus or whatever it was that there was a ramen shop in the vicinity.

* * *

Drew appeared, just as promised, on Monday afternoon, just as May had finished a killer combination with her Skitty and Glaceon. She was insistent on not only practicing for the upcoming contests, but thinking ahead as well, and since the Hearthome contest was in sight, that was reaching the top of her agenda quicker than she would've liked. There were only three more contests that she planned to enter between now and then, not including the Sandalstraw one, meaning that in theory, she could possibly win her five ribbons and not even have to worry about it. But she would enter, and she would win, even if that meant having to beat Drew.

He sidled up, hands in pockets, to stand beside her and admire the ice sculpture she had created in the middle of the field. It glittered as the sunlight refracted through it, creating tiny rainbows that covered the ground. It was an impressive prism, she thought, and she stored it in the back of her head for future reference.

"Things are going well, then?" Drew asked, glancing at every cranny of the sculpture.

"I wish. We've been practicing this combination from yesterday, and this is the only time it's stayed together. It doesn't even look like anything," May huffed, returning her Pokémon to their balls with a quiet word of thanks.

"Yeah, but if you did this in a contest, at least you'd make it through the appeals round."

"That's not necessarily true, and I think you know that."

Drew sighed, putting his hands behind his head. May glanced between the structure and the ground, before settling her eyes on Drew. He still looked sad, and worried, but it was clear he was trying not to let it show on his face. May took a step towards him and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"You'll get out of this, I just know it. You're stronger than this," she confirmed with a nod of her head.

"I really hope so."

* * *

Dawn dragged May through the town on Tuesday afternoon, just as promised. The café she had mentioned was cute, like she said, with lace curtains and gingham tablecloths. Tea was served to them in china teacups with matching saucers. A cake stand adorned with cupcakes and tray bakes was brought out, and Dawn swatted May's hand away before she could lift one. Her face fell, crestfallen, but she sipped her tea instead, shooting Dawn the occasional glare.

"So, spill. What's on your mind?"

"What? No, nothing!" May said, setting her teacup down and shaking her head.

"Does it have anything to do with a certain green haired coordinator that's in town at the moment?"

"I told you, there's nothing on my mind!"

"I don't believe you for a second," Dawn said, raising an eyebrow suspiciously.

"Well, shame on you, then."

"So if I brought Drew in here right now and told him that you like him, you wouldn't immediately flip out?"

"I do not like him like _that_! We're just rivals, I've told you this before."

"Very friendly rivals."

"And you're not friends with Zoey. And I'm not friends with Solidad. Because obviously, friendly rivals equates to love, apparently," May shot back, taking note of Dawn's distraction and grabbing cake from the stand.

"Okay, but I've seen the way you two look at each other. There's definitely something going on!"

"Okay, maybe I _kinda_ like him. Just a little bit. Like, a crush, more than full on love."

"I knew it!" Dawn celebrated triumphantly. "I'm totally gonna try and set you up now."

"You've never talked to Drew before, so I really think you're overestimating yourself. He has the time of day for no one."

"Apart from you," Dawn replied, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

"I hate you."

* * *

The Sandalstraw Contest came around the next morning, with a good luck text from Dawn on May's PokéNav. She was out of bed quickly, for once, prepping herself for the day ahead in her room instead of in the always cramped dressing room. She had inhaled enough hairspray at the Floaroma Contest to last her the rest of the year, thank you very much.

She still wasn't used to the whole idea of dressing up for contests. She wasn't sure if you were expected to have different outfits for each and every contest, so she subtly switched hers up this time. The pink hair bow from the last contest was switched with a gold star, and her contest outfit was packed into her bag, with no major changes to it. She practically ran to the contest hall, realizing that it was almost eleven.

Thankfully, she made it in time for registration, and she slipped through to the dressing room, throwing her still uncomfortable costume on and slipping out within a matter of minutes. Unusually for her, the coordinator's lounge was completely empty. The clock on the wall read 11:10, so May sat down on one of the cube seats, running over her plan in her head.

This one would go off without a hitch. It didn't rely on chance of any kind. It didn't rely on her doing anything with props. Realistically, she could just tell Blaziken to go and he would, but she wouldn't. This was practically the perfect combination, and May felt confident. This was unusual for her, especially so early in the season. But she wasn't about to complain- it was amazing she'd even gotten this far.

The lounge filled up quickly as the clocked ticked ever closer to twelve. And when the numbers changed to one and two, Marian appeared on the screen, her warm words of welcome reaching out to the audience and beyond. The camera panned quickly around the audience, and May caught sight of Drew, nodding directly to the camera. May's heart sped up momentarily. Whether this nod was for her or not she would never know, but it put her mind at ease.

Her name was called fairly early on into the preliminaries, and she grabbed Blaziken's Pokéball from her belt, turning it over in her palm. This was going to go great. She took a deep breath, and ran out into the arena, ready to wow.

"Blaziken, take the stage!" The Pokémon burst from its ball, appearing on the stage in a burst of dark smoke that filled the arena floor. "Use Fire Spin on yourself!"

This move sounded a lot riskier than it actually was. Very little damage was taken by Blaziken, and it looked spectacular. The Pokémon opened its beak, spitting the fire type move towards the ground, which then engulfed its whole body in a fiery tornado. There were audible gasps from the audience, but they only fueled May's confidence.

"Use Sky Uppercut!"

The Pokémon complied, jabbing its fist through the fire. Blue streaks were left in the air, cutting through the red of the Fire Spin. Eventually, the flames dissipated, leaving Blaziken shining in the aftermath. Both he and May bowed, before she returned him to his Pokéball.

* * *

The battle round went quickly, with may sailing through to the finals along with her Skitty. The small Pokémon wasn't as used to battle rounds, but she managed perfectly. In fact, she managed to defeat their opponent in the final round, meaning that May became the winner of the Sandalstraw Ribbon.

She changed quickly, still on a high from winning. That made two ribbons in two contests, and that did wonders for May's confidence levels. Only three more to go, and she had almost the whole season to acquire them. That was better than she could ever have _dreamed_. And hey, who knows, she could even pull off a 'Solidad Clean Sweep', as Dawn's mom apparently called it.

"You did great," a voice called as soon as she stepped foot into the lobby. Drew was there, rose in hand, as to be expected. "That first combination took my breath away."

"Thanks," May said, taking the rose from him and holding it in her hand. She spotted Dawn in the distance, coming out of the hall, and prayed that her friend wouldn't see them together, especially with the rose. "That's two ribbons now," she breathed.

"I can't quite believe it. I'm honestly amazed you've done so well."

"What's that supposed to mean? Do you not think I'm a good coordinator?"

"No, I just think that compared to the girl I met on Slateport City's beach, you're practically a different person. You've come so far."

"Hey!" Another voice called, running towards May at an alarming pace. "I'm so glad you're still here! And…Drew. So you're still a weenie, huh?" The boy said, glancing at the rose in May's hand.

"Max?"

* * *

 _A/N: I drastically changed the plot of the next four chapters just because I wanted to put Drew in. Hope you're excited for some more guest appearances (you're all waiting for it I can tell) in the next couple of chapters! (hes coming soon) c: please review if you enjoyed!_


	5. Chapter 5

As soon as Max appeared, Drew knew he had no hope in _hell_ of getting to speak to May properly about the contest. He had barely got his congratulation out of his mouth before her brother had appeared, traversing half in the room in a matter of seconds and insulting him as soon as they made eye contact.

"Nice to see you again, _Max_ ," Drew said, placing particular emphasis on his name.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were still in Hoenn!" May said, pushing past Drew to embrace her younger brother.

"Okay okay, get off! I wanted to come see one of your contests, so I asked mom _very nicely_ and she let me come!"

"How's Ralts doing?"

"Wait you already got your first Pokémon?" Drew asked. May peeled herself off Max, standing straight again beside Drew.

"Yeah," he said proudly, puffing his chest out just a tiny bit. "It's a Ralts, and I'm gonna train it to become the best Gallade in all of Hoenn."

"What about Gardevoir?" Drew asked. "Aesthetically speaking-"

"It's much better for contests, and I want to take the gym challenge, so I need power not beauty," Max stated matter of factly. "I'm aiming to take over the Petalburg Gym."

"Well, good for you!" May said enthusiastically, ignoring Drew's obvious hostility. Drew looked between the two siblings, waiting for either of them to say something. He sighed deeply, accepting his defeat.

"I'll be off, then. You've seen enough of me lately, and not enough of Max, so I'm sure you'd like to catch up next." He lingered a bit longer, not really wanting to leave. "Where are you going next?"

"I've got Sage Town, Beach Rose Town, and Canalave City, before Hearthome City."

"Keeping busy, then? I don't blame you. I won't be at any of those contests, so you'll either have to make special arrangements to see me, or wait for the Hearthome Contest," he said, flicking his hair.

"Or, I could just call you. Where will you be?" May asked, rolling her eyes at his joke arrogance. At least, she _thought_ it was joke.

"Neighborly Town and Michina Town. I'm not hoping for much to be honest, but it's worth a shot."

"Good luck, then! I'll call you at some point, okay?"

"Sure. See ya, May." He didn't say anything to Max before walking away, getting lost in the crowds that had formed since the contest had finished. He paused beside the door, looking out for Solidad. She didn't say that she'd be here for definite, but he couldn't help but get his hopes up. May turned back to Max, who had his arms folded and one eyebrow raised.

"What's that look for?" May asked.

"'You've seen enough of me recently'. What's that supposed to mean?" Max queried, making quotation marks in the air.

"Nothing! We've just been hanging out a lot because we don't really have anyone else that we know in Sinnoh," May explained.

"Solidad? Harley?"

"You wish!"

Drew watched the two from a distance, trying to figure out what they were saying. His train of thought was interrupted when a blue haired girl jumped in front of him, eyes wide and a smile covering most of her face. She looked familiar, but Drew couldn't exactly place her.

"Drew, right?" She asked. When she talked, even her voice was familiar, and Drew kicked himself for not knowing who she was.

"Right. And, you are..?"

"Dawn Berlitz. I'm from Twinleaf Town, here in Sinnoh."

"I don't know it."

"I don't expect you to. Can we walk somewhere?"

"Uh, I have… places to be."

"It won't take long," Dawn smiled.

"Fine."

He let her escort him out of the building, and down the main path into the town. He wasn't a huge fan of Sandalstraw from the short amount of time he'd spent there. It was too small and too quiet, and everyone seemed to know everyone else. If he lived here, he would probably go mad, and he made a mental note to not live in any small town once he bought a place of his own. Dawn brought him through to a park that was in the centre of town- what was essentially a fenced in lawn with a small fountain in the centre and two benches on either side. Flowers were peppered over the field, and Drew glared at the almost happy colour of the grass.

"So," She started, sitting down on the bench. He followed her action, not wanting to stand awkwardly. "I don't know if you know, but I'm one of May's friends."

That took a huge weight of his chest. For one, he could finally place her in his mind. She was the girl who had beaten May in the finals of the last Wallace Cup, which May had travelled all the way over here from Johto to compete in. And for another, that meant that it was unlikely that he was getting some kind of love confession today. Everything up until then had seemed like it was heading in that direction, but she had cut that idea short with one sentence.

"Ah right. From the Wallace Cup, right?"

"Yep!" She paused, narrowing her eyes very slightly to get a good look at his face, as if trying to memorize every slight detail. "Anyway… well, this is sorta out of the blue. Or maybe it isn't? Maybe you've heard this sort of thing before…"

"Get on with it," Drew said, quickly losing his patience. This girl was a lot more annoying in real life than May had described her.

"Well, I just wanted to tell you that I think you and May would be a really cute couple, and you should totally ask her out." She said this so seriously, and after realizing what she had said, Drew's face heated up rapidly.

"Wh-what?"

"You heard me," she smirked, the corners of her mouth twitching up.

"Me and May… we're just friends. Rivals, in fact."

"That's what she said too."

"You've talked to her about this?"

"We're best friends. And she said that you were just rivals, nothing more. Friendly rivals. But, there you go! I'm just stating my opinion."

"Well, don't state it near me again." Drew got up quickly, leaving the park without a backwards glance. He could tell Dawn was laughing at his expense, and he shook his head angrily, trying not to think about the fact that it was true, he and May would make a pretty cute couple. He walked faster, using every muscle in his body to stop himself from hitting his head off the wall.

* * *

Neighborly Town was a good while away from Sandalstraw Town, between Veilstone and the Lake Valor resort. Drew was glad of the excursion- it gave him an excuse to travel over to this side of the region and become more familiar with it. Michina Town was also over this way, a little further south, and then he would head back west to Hearthome City.

The contest he had been dreaming of took place on the first Saturday in December, right before the contests took a break for coordinators to go home and visit their families over the Christmas period. It also gave competitors time to reevaluate training strategies- everything changed after the Hearthome contest, according to May, who had watched the season dedicatedly last year while they were in Hoenn. Of course, the break also allowed bookmakers to change their odds- whoever won the Hearthome Contest was practically guaranteed to shoot up the rankings.

And if everything worked out, that would be Drew. He had been working more on double battle combinations than anything else, hoping that he would get enough practice in before the contest to pull out something semi impressive. Double Battles weren't really his strong point- they had only been used in the Grand Festival battle rounds before. But here, the Double Performance rule was used a hell of a lot more often, so he had to be ready.

It gave Drew a lot more to work with, however. He could mash different elements of two Pokémon together, creating an unstoppable force of nature that was not only powerful but beautiful as well. And in his opinion he was pretty damn good at it too.

The Pokémon Centre in Neighborly Town was smaller than the one in Sandalstraw Town, and the Nurse Joy there explained that the town only became busy when the contest was on. There was no gym in this town, and trainers tended to either avoid it or pass right through it, as there weren't any notable landmarks in the Town. Drew decided he hated it as soon as he stepped foot in the door.

He slept in the Pokémon Centre, ate his meals in the canteen that they had (he was surprised it existed, to be honest), and trained outside the town, which was more of a village, the rest of the day. It wasn't the most exciting time, but he could think of worse things to be doing. He had come up with some good solo combinations for his Pokémon, trying desperately to redeem Masquerain. He felt that it was a good combination, but it was almost impossible to know. Only time would tell if it was enough.

Finally, the day of the Neighborly Town Contest arrived, and Drew felt panicked. This was the first time he had entered a contest without one of his friends- May was in Sage Town, and Solidad was… well, when he thought about it, he didn't really know where she was or what she was doing. He awoke to a good luck text from May, and he rolled his eyes at how cheesy it was.

 _Good luck today! Do your best!_ _ヾ_ _(_ _｡｀_ _Д´_ _｡_ _)_ _ﾉ彡_

He snapped his PokéNav shut, after sending a reply of a simple 'thanks'. He wasn't good with words generally, and May didn't seem to help at all with his articulation. But he appreciated all her texts and phone calls, even if he didn't say anything about it. They had talked a lot on the phone in the past few weeks, but may always had to leave early because Max was still about. This bothered Drew- he couldn't even go and see her when he had free time, because he knew that Max would say something.

The contest hall was pretty full already, and Drew hurriedly got dressed, realizing that he had actually arrived late. There were never that many male coordinators entering, at least compared to the amount of females, so Drew practically got the whole room to himself. And unlike the rest of the building, it was the one room that didn't smell overwhelmingly of hairspray.

He made his way out into the coordinators lounge, putting his Masquerain's Pokéball into a Seal Ball. This combination he had planned was almost guaranteed to get him through to the battle round, and the thought of performing set him on edge immediately. He sat down at the back of the room, waiting the few extra minutes for the proceedings to start. A shadow cut off his light source, and he looked up, to see one of his least favourite coordinators standing in front of him.

"Well, if it isn't Drew Hayden! Come for another shot at the gold?"

"Clarissa," he spat out, making it as clear as possibly that he didn't like her

"How many contests have you won now? Two, was it? And you haven't even gotten through the first round!" She laughed, covering her mouth with her hand in a half hearted attempt to stop the sound.

"And tell me, how many ribbons have you won overall? I haven't heard your name mentioned once this season so far when winning, so I'm going to assume your total still stands at zero. Don't forget Clarissa, I'm a top coordinator, so that automatically means I'm better than you."

"And more arrogant, apparently! And for your information, I have a ribbon from the last time I competed as well. So that stands me a whole ribbon ahead of you!"

"Well, when I beat you in the Grand Festival, don't be crying," Drew said, flicking his hair, even though his hand was obviously shaking.

"Drew?" A voice called, and he looked up to see the runner with a clipboard waiting for him.

"Guess I'm first then. Just watch, Clarissa. I'll make it through this time!"

He got to his feet, making his way towards the stage. He could hear Marian's opening speech loud and clear, the same as every other time. He bounced on his toes in anticipation. This time he was filled with adrenaline, and he knew that he could do something right in this contest. And of course, Solidad's rant the last time scared the officials no end, so he stood a better chance.

"First up is one of our long time favourites, now in his fourth contest circuit, give it up for Drew from La Rousse City!" The crowd cheered- he was surprised that it was so loud. He ran out onto the field, waving graciously at the audience before steeling himself. He took a deep breath and called his Pokémon forward, ready to show off what they had spent so long practicing.

"Masquerain, you're up!" The Eyeball Pokémon flew onto the stage, floating gracefully in a cloud of bubbles. "Use Silver Wind!"

It was what he did the last time, and he could almost hear the judges cringing. But it would be different this time. Masquerain popped all the bubbles in one movement, and then the Silver Wind transformed itself into a column, which Masquerain flew around. It had taken a lot of training to change the shape of the move, but Masquerain had done it, and the results were spectacular. The residue from the bubbles before made the Pokémon sparkle, and Drew smirked, knowing his plan would work.

"Now! Fly up and use Ice Beam!"

The Pokémon flitted up to the top of the column, still somehow keeping control of it. Masquerain fired the Ice Beam attack, taking no time at all to power up, and the pillar froze, the wind shooting outwards to create a huge icy effect all over the stage. Masquerain fluttered down onto one of the spikes created, and Drew took a bow. It had worked, and it looked better than anything he'd pulled out before.

* * *

The rest of the round went on without too much excitement. The standard was high, even in a small town like this, and Drew was impressed by the talent on display. He wasn't even sure if he would make it through now, but he constantly reminded himself of how hard he had worked on that appeal. It was pretty good, after all, and he smiled to himself, watching and waiting for the results to come in.

Clarissa's face came up first, followed by six unknown coordinators. Drew's was seventh, and face he recognised but didn't know. He had to pinch himself to make sure he was actually there, and the sharp pain was nothing but a comfort to him. He smiled at his knees, keeping his celebration inside himself. His PokéNav rang in his pocket, and his face lit up when he saw May's name on the screen. He hit accept call, and was almost deafened by her response.

"You did it!" She yelled, and he held the PokéNav away from his ear.

"I know," he replied, smiling through his words.

"I'm so proud of you! Hey, but you still have the battle rounds to get through, so don't be celebrating just yet!"

"I know, I know. Honestly, I'm glad to have got this far. Even if I don't win, at least I've broken through this wall."

"Well, I'll let you go. I'm watching and sending good vibes your way!" She finished, clicking end call and leaving Drew to contemplate what to do next.

He was going to save Roserade for the Hearthome Contest, and hopefully blow everyone away with her sheer power and beauty. So now, he was using Absol, and hoped that the Pokémon's reputation as a strong battler would precede it. His battle was first, and much to his dismay, he was paired against Clarissa. They stood at opposite ends of the battlefield, and Drew could feel the hate radiating off her.

"Well well, I never expected you to get this far, Drew! It must be some sort of miracle. Well, put it this way, you're not getting any further! Medicham, I choose you!"

Shit.

It was too late to change his mind now, so without another word, Drew threw Absol's ball onto the field, hoping that by some miracle, all of Medicham's fighting type moves would miss.

"There's five minutes on the clock!" Marian announced, and Drew took a deep breath. "Let's go!"

"Absol, use Psycho Cut!" Drew called, hoping to hit the opposing Pokémon with a super effective move before it could get one in itself.

"Dodge it Medicham, and try Hi Jump Kick!" This was a risky move to try at the best of times, never mind in a contest, and fortunately for Drew, this gave him the perfect opportunity to attack and gain an advantage.

"Wait, and then use Psycho Cut straight into the air!"

"Land quickly, Medicham, and use Low Kick!"

Drew gasped, not knowing what to do. The first move as a feint, and now Medicham was in the perfect position to attack. He had lost significant points already, and now his Absol had been kicked halfway across the stage.

"Get up, and use Double Edge!" The Pokémon struggled to its feet, and readied the attack; it's body glowing a purer shade of white.

"Stop it in its tracks with Hi Jump Kick!"

Medicham leapt into the air, and Absol ran forward, and the two attacks collided. An explosion of power created a cloud of smoke, and when it cleared, Absol was down, and Medicham was panting heavily, on its last legs. The judges pressed their buzzers, and Absol was deemed out of action. Drew returned it to its Pokéball, accepting his loss with a smile.

"You did great." He turned away quickly, feeling Clarissa's sneer without even looking at her.

* * *

"I'm really sorry."

"I'm not."

"But Drew, you lost!"

"But I got past the appeals. Think about it, next time, I'll get to the semi finals, and the next time I'll get to the finals."

"By that logic, you'll need to enter another contest before the Hearthome one if you want to win it," May pointed out.

"If that's what it takes, then so be it," Drew said, leaning back on his bed. He had stayed to watch the end of the contest before leaving. Clarissa had won, which didn't surprise him, but he left the hall before the presentation so there was next to no chance of her sneering directly at him.

"You're being strangely optimistic about this."

"I just feel a lot more confident about everything. Both Masquerain and Absol did great today."

"Who are using in Michina Town?" May asked curiously.

"I'm going to catch a new Pokémon on the way there, and use Flygon for the battle rounds."

"Using a new Pokémon for an appeal is usually a safe bet. It brings something new and fresh that you're not used to, so forces you to change your style!" May said, remembering her first contest win with Clefairy. "So, you're saving Roserade for the Hearthome Contest?"

"Right," Drew nodded. "I want it to be the ribbon we win together."

"Well, good luck to you!" May laughed. "And… don't forget about that Pokémon you caught in Johto. It'll come in handy some day."

"I won't," Drew grimaced. "How could I forget?"

* * *

 _A/N: Did y'all know that Masquerain was the Eyeball Pokémon? Because I sure didn't. Bless these poor children they both had a horrible time in Johto (Drew less so but still) also, I'm gonna do a profile for Clarissa on my tumblr (teashipping) this week, as she's now a recurring character! Please review if you enjoyed and I hope you come back next week! c:_


	6. Chapter 6

The Sage Town contest ended up being a huge disaster, with May not even making it to registration in time to enter. Beach Rose went slightly better; she made it to the semi finals with ease. And as for Canalave City- well, she made it all the way to the finals and won the ribbon with ease. That left her with two more ribbons to get, and the contest season wasn't even halfway through.

Next on her list was Hearthome City. The contest there was sure to be popular, so she arrived two weeks early and signed up. Much to her surprise, it was already three quarters full, and she made a mental note to tell Drew to register before he ran out of time.

The city was bustling as usual, with the start of Christmas shopping most definitely on people's minds. It was chillier than the last time she was here, and there were hints of frost on car windows sat dormant in the street. May's breath froze in the air, and she pulled her cardigan tighter around her, wondering where she would be able to get a coat for cheap. As she pondered this, she walked straight into someone, who huffed loudly in response.

"Watch where you're going- oh. It's you," the voice said, and May looked up, clocking the pink haired girl in front of her.

"Hi, Clarissa," she offered, trying to be as friendly as she could. Truth be told, she couldn't stand the girl, especially as she had completely beaten Drew in the Neighborly Town Contest and _then_ was rude to him so clearly on TV.

"Hello, May. Not part of the fan club today, are we?"

"I'm not part of any fan club," she shot back, narrowing her eyes.

"I suppose you're in Hearthome to get ready for the next contest, are you? Well, you'll have to beat me for that ribbon. I want it more than anyone else."

"I'm not sure about that. You should hear the way Drew goes on about it," May laughed, trying to diffuse the tension that Clarissa was clearly forcing on the conversation.

"I know. I've seen his Instagram posts," she answered, grabbing her phone from her pocket and showing the screen to May. "He's practically got some countdown going on. It's almost pathetic. He hasn't even won a single ribbon yet!"

"What's your problem, Clarissa? What has he done to you that you find the need to pick through all of his actions and contest moves and constantly belittle him? May I remind you that _you_ only have one ribbon from this season?" May said, pointing a finger aggressively in Clarissa's direction.

"No need to get so angry! I really wonder about you two. Maybe there is some sort of relationship between you two, and coordinators weekly has been right all this time!" She laughed loudly, covering her mouth with a gloved hand. She sidestepped May, stalking down the street and out of sight. May grumbled incoherently, walking in the opposite direction as fast as she could.

* * *

The benefit to being in the city two weeks early was the extra time to prepare for the appeals round. This was the first time that May would ever perform in a contest under the double battle rules. Her Pokémon were just as unsure about the event as she was, and she spent a large amount of her time reassuring them. The best thing, however, was that Clefairy had finally managed to pull of the appeal she was so desperate to use.

In her original plan, it was scheduled in for the Grand Festival, but now, she could secure a place in the second round of the Hearthome Contest and pull out something even bigger for the Grand Festival. She just had to figure out what Pokémon worked best with Clefairy, and that was a struggle all in itself. Although aesthetically the Pokémon was cute and innocent, in reality, she struggled to get along with any of May's other Pokémon. Skitty was suspicious from the start of the newcomer, and Blaziken, following Skitty's lead, also didn't warm up to the new addition. Munchlax was curious of the Moon Pokémon, but after eating Clefairy's food and getting a Wake Up Slap to the face, he too shunned the Pokémon.

Instead of trying what she knew was doomed to fail, she swapped her Pokémon out, swapping Skitty for Wartortle. The water type was more laid back, and immediately the two got on, making flower crowns while May drafted ideas for the new appeal. It would have to include Wartortle in a big way if she was to score big points, and May was practically out of ideas. After a good half and hour of deliberating, she found something that might just work, and called her Pokémon over to practice.

* * *

There was only one more contest before the Hearthome Contest, all the way across the region near Sunyshore City. Neither May nor Drew were entering, yet she watched it anyway, in the lounge of the Pokémon centre where she had miraculously secured a room. In the capital city of the region it was uncommon to get a room when you turned up, but the fates were on her side that day. The contest was broadcast directly into the main room, and no one was allowed to turn over on Nurse Joy's orders.

The contest started in all it's bright colours and spectacle, and Marian appeared, calling out her usual opening spiel. May noticed a number of coordinators she recognised- Solidad was there, opening up the appeals round with spectacular grace as per usual. She also saw Briana, a coordinator she had met long ago in Hoenn. Her Vibrava had evolved from the last time they had met, into a Flygon that was dominating the battlefield from the moment it appeared from its Pokéball.

And then, right at the end, was an oh so familiar coordinator that May had hoped she wouldn't have to worry about while in Sinnoh. She had almost counted him out of the competition, but she should've known- the flashy world of Super Contests were right up Harley's street.

He hadn't got any less flamboyant, May noted, as his outfit consisted of a plain back suit and a sequined green cape. His hat- not dissimilar to the one she was used to seeing- was also sequined, and he had a matching tie and gloves. It pained her to note that he contest outfit was even fancier, and she made a decision to find a new one for the second half of the season.

May sat, glued to the screen, for what felt like hours. Briana was knocked out by Solidad in the semi finals, meaning that the last battle came down to Solidad and Harley. Although she was rooting for Solidad one hundred percent, she wondered what it would be like if Harley actually managed to uproot her from her position. She was rated as the current number one coordinator in the world, despite only having one ribbon cup to her name. And if Harley defeated her now, the tables would be turned on coordinating for the whole season.

It came down to the last few minutes- Solidad's Slowbro versus Harley's Cacturne. Although she had a complete type disadvantage, Solidad managed to pull through with an expertly timed Ice Beam that left Cacturne on the ground. The crowd went wild, both in the arena and in the Pokémon Centre, and May smiled, knowing that Solidad hadn't changed in all the time they had known each other.

"And there it is, ladies and gentlemen, the beginning of Solidad's infamous clean sweep! Can she continue it throughout the rest of the season? We'll just have to wait and see! She's been keeping quiet thus far, but my word was that an excellent victory. Too bad for Harley, though! He'll have to try again next time."

The camera panned to a dejected Harley, who returned his Cacturne to its Pokéball, glaring at the camera the whole time. Another camera cut to Solidad, smiling and patting her Slowbro on the head. She was gracious in her victory, chasing Harley across the field to shake his hand. The ribbon was handed to her, and she grinned directly into the camera, holding it up in her usual way.

"And speaking of next time, folks, it's the long anticipated Hearthome Contest! This will be the first contest of the season under the Double Performance rule, and we can't wait to see what you all can do with two Pokémon! Until then, keep coordinating!"

The camera went black, then cut to a panel of experts, who always picked apart the contest move by move afterwards. Usually May avoided these- she didn't want to hear what they had to say about who would win the next contest according to their predictions. Today was no exception- she got up, leaving the comfort of the lounge behind, and headed into the cold air outside.

* * *

May wasn't used to being in such a big city. Mauville City paled in comparison, and even some of the bigger cities in Kanto and Johto had nothing on this place. Hearthome was like a labyrinth to a girl who had come from such a tiny town as she, and she got lost wandering around more often than not. On one of her excursions around the city, she came across a place near the south of the city that offered cooking classes, and intrigued, May ventured inside. A cheery woman greeted her, arm outstretched.

"Welcome! This is the Poffin House, where we teach Coordinators to make Poffins for their Pokémon! Are you a-"

"Don't ask stupid questions!" An older man called from the back of the room. "Of course she's a coordinator! That's May Maple!"

"I'm sorry, miss!" She apologised, and May rubbed the back of her head sheepishly.

"It's okay. You weren't to know."

"I have my bets on you for this season, my girl, and let me tell you, I don't usually place bets until after our own contest here! You're doing well!" The old man said, and May smiled warmly at his compliment.

"Thank you very much!"

"Would you like to make Poffins for your Pokémon?" The woman questioned, guiding May into the house further. "We offer a trial session of one batch of Poffins for free! We even provide ingredients!"

"With an offer like that, how can I refuse?"

* * *

One batch of poffins later, May left the Poffin House with six happy Pokémon and a vast knowledge of the edible biscuits. She was sure that she got a lot more advice than she was supposed to, as the elderly man was fond of her coordinating, but she wasn't about to complain.

The Pokémon Centre was full when May arrived back, with the lobby being over taken by trainers. The sofas were often used as beds by desperate trainers who weren't too fond of camping and who couldn't get their hands on a room for the night. As May walked upstairs, a familiar person bumped into her, causing her to trip and fall back down a few steps. A hand grabbed her wrist, pulling her back up the stairs onto the landing that she had almost made it to.

"Try not to swoon every time you see me," Drew said, flicking his hair.

"If you didn't walk into me, then maybe I wouldn't fall," May shot back, elbowing him in the ribs playfully.

"What are you doing here?"

"I was on my way back to my room."

"Ah. I was going to the kitchen. I need food."

"Are you not just going to buy something? I didn't know you could cook."

"I'm trying to be healthy," Drew protested.

"Well, I'll come with you. I learnt how to make poffins today!" May boasted, making her way back down the stairs, Drew following behind her.

"And what's a poffin when it's at home?"

"It's like PokéBlock, essentially. But more… biscuit shaped. And harder to make."

"You should teach me," Drew suggested, holding the door to the kitchen open to May.

"I just learned today, though. I doubt I'm good enough at poffin making to be a teacher yet."

"They say that the teacher needs to be one lesson ahead of the student."

"Yeah, who says that? I've never heard anyone say that ever."

"Aw, come on May. I want to make Poffins too!"

"Fine, fine! I'll try my best."

As Drew cut up vegetables into a salad for himself, May lifted pots and pans out, heating up water in one and leaving it to warm slowly. She produced a handful of Aspear Berries from her bag, chopping them into slivers before turning her attention back to Drew, who had his mouth full of salad and was watching her intently.

"Are you actually learning or are you just eating?" May chastised.

"No, I get it. You have to chop all the berries up, and heat water up at the same time."

"Why don't you try it as well?"

"I don't have any berries."

"Well, you're not getting any of my poffins!"

"I don't want any. I remember what your PokéBlock was like."

Pointedly ignoring him, May continued to follow the recipe, tossing the sliced up berries into the hot water. She then followed it up with flour, sugar, milk and eggs, and stirred it until it formed a dough. She tipped it out onto the counter, kneading it until she was satisfied with the results.

"I wonder if this would work with Leichi Berries," Drew commented, smirking at the memory.

"Probably. And you would probably get really good poffins from it too!"

"It's kinda gross the way your dough is bright yellow."

"Shut up! I'd like to see you do better."

"I'll make you poffins tomorrow, then."

"Will I have to help you?"

"Probably."

"Oh, great."

Soon, a baking tray was lined with sixteen tiny raw poffins, and May put them into the oven, leaning back proudly. Drew clapped slowly, and she rolled her eyes in his direction. He had finished his salad long ago, and was now standing watching her, arms folded and one eyebrow raised.

"How's your training going?" She asked, setting the time beside the oven.

"Alright. I have a few ideas, I just need to narrow it down and perfect one of them."

"I caught your Michina Town contest on TV. Your appeals are looking a lot more refined, and you almost won it with that last attack in the battle round!"

"You sound like Solidad. She said almost the same thing."

"Well, it's true! Maybe you will win the Hearthome Ribbon after all. But of course, you have to beat me first!"

"If that's what it takes," Drew confirmed.

"I saw Clarissa the other day," May said, bringing the tone of the conversation right down. "I bumped into her in the street. She was… kind as ever."

"I'm sure. I almost want to beat her more than I want to beat you. She's possibly one of the most awful people I've met."

"Talking about awful people," May interjected. "Did you see Solidad's contest?"

"Let me tell you," Drew said, clenching his fists. "I'm glad she won. I'm surprised he even turned up, after the ass kicking she gave him in Johto."

"And at the same contest as her and all! It's clear he just wants her attention."

"He won't admit that he's in the shadow of the great Solidad. But in a way, aren't we all?"

"Says you, who beat her in the last grand Festival," May replied, smirking at him.

"That was luck and you know it, May. There's no way I could recreate that again."

"Did you release-"

"No. I sent it home. My parents are looking after it."

"Will you ever use it again?"

"I'm not sure. Part of me wants to, to prove that my coordinating doesn't rely on luck, but I'm not sure I can, after last time."

"Do whatever you feel comfortable with."

"I might leave it for now. I don't want to think about it."

"Fair enough."

They stood in silence for a moment, only the two knowing the other's problems with coordinating. The silence was shattered by the timer going off, blaring loudly until May switched it off. She bent down to open the oven, and was greeted with the sweet smell of poffins.

"Look, they worked!"

The colour had faded from the dough that she had made, into a slightly more golden yellow. May dusted them with sprinkles, and boxed them up for later. She handed two of the batch to Drew, wrapped up neatly in tin foil.

"I thought you said you wouldn't give me any," he said, staring at the package May handed to him.

"I changed my mind. It does good to be kind, right?"

"I guess." He smiled, pocketing the poffins without another word about them. "We should train together tomorrow. If… if you don't have other plans, that is."

"I'd like that."

"I can help you with your appeal."

"Yeah, because you're the appeal master, obviously."

* * *

True to her word, May was out on the battlefield bright and early the next morning. Wartortle and Clefairy were by her side, and she was stretching as Drew arrived, coffee in hand. His Roserade followed him, glancing between May and her two Pokémon. Without a word, Drew threw a Pokéball, releasing his Absol onto the field.

"So is this who you're using for the appeals round?" May questioned. It wasn't a matchup she would've picked, but maybe that was why it would probably work."

"Yeah. I've got a pretty good idea of what I'm doing."

"Show me, then."

"Nuh, uh. You go first."

"Mine won't work here."

"Why not?"

"I need certain conditions for mine to fully work."

"Fine, okay, okay! Absol, Roserade, positions please!"

Drew stood at the back of the field, his Roserade and Absol poised gracefully in front of him. His downed the last of his coffee, tossing the empty cup towards May, who lifted it and put it in the bin beside her. He cleared his throat, partly to gain his Pokémon's full attention, and another part to put in time.

"Absol, Dark Pulse and Roserade, Petal Dance!"

The Bouquet Pokémon span on the spot, releasing pale pink petals into the air. Absol jumped into position behind her, firing out a dark pulse into the air, which shattered the petals, causing them to flutter to the ground anticlimactically.

"It still needs some work," Drew admitted, calling his Pokémon back towards him.

"I don't think those two moves work together. Dark Pulse is simply too powerful to deal with the delicate Petal Dance," May admitted, crossing her arms and peering at the broken petals on the ground. "If it managed to break them in a way that caused them to sparkle or something, it would be okay, but they just kinda… slice in half and fall." Upon catching Drew's expression, she backtracked a little, waving her hands in front of her face. "Sorry. I got a little caught up in the analysis there."

"No, you're right," Drew admitted, glaring at the ground beneath his feet. "It's not… wow enough. I need to find something better and more interesting."

"Roserade has poison as a secondary typing, right? Why not try to work with that?"

"You may be on to something there," Drew agreed, regarding his Pokémon with new eyes.

* * *

Night came quickly now that winter was in full force, meaning most trainers stayed inside once the temperatures dropped as the sun went down. Apart from one, who dressed herself in her new coat she had finally bought, and gloves and a hat sent from home. Night was the only time she could practice properly, and she sent out Clefairy and Wartortle to her side.

"Okay guys. Let's do our best!" May encouraged, to the gentle cries of agreement from her Pokémon.

She turned her back on the Pokémon Centre, and got into position, hands in front of her and feet shoulder width apart. She lit up the sky with her combination, causing what looked almost like fireworks to the people in Solaceon Town and further. She was completely alone with her Pokémon, and she could be as one with them as they put the finishing touches on their moves.

Or so she thought.

A certain green haired trainer watched from his window, a warm smile appearing on his face every time she moved in sync with her Pokémon. If she would glance in his direction, he would shut the curtain quickly, only to return a minute later, the same lovesick look on his face.

* * *

 _A/N: This was kinda a slow chapter but I think it's okay c: please review if you enjoyed! Or even if you didn't, tell me why! See you next week!_


	7. Chapter 7

The big day had finally arrived. The Hearthome Contest was only a matter of hours away, and Drew felt sick to his stomach. There was so much competition at this event, and he didn't know if he would even make it through the preliminaries. But with a lot of training, and help from his friends, he had perfected an appeal, and battling would hopefully come as second nature to him.

The changing rooms in the hall were filled, and Drew had to take in deep breaths as to not choke on the hairspray and glitter almost visible in the air. He changed quickly into his suit, and made his way through to the coordinators lounge, which was practically empty. Everyone was putting extra effort into looking good that day, so using up all their time wasn't a problem. The judges were particularly strict in this contest, and not only did your Pokémon have to look good, but you did too.

May arrived a few moments later, and upon spotting Drew across the room, made her way across to where he was seated. She sat down without a word, and stared at his clenched hands, not knowing what to say in words of comfort. She knew he was nervous, and understood why. But words weren't really her thing, so she sat silent until the room filled up more with people.

"Nervous?" She asked quietly.

"You bet," Drew said with a chuckle. "This is the biggest contest of the year, right?"

May nodded. "It'll be fine. You have to have more faith in yourself."

"With coordinators like you competing, how can I?"

"Drew, you know you're a better coordinator than me, and better than at least ninety percent of the people in this room at least. I have faith in you, even if you don't."

"You're competing, though. I'm going to have to beat you to win."

"If that's what it takes," she replied, nodding in agreement.

Their conversation was interrupted by the raucous applause of the audience outside, signifying that Marian had taken her place center stage. The screens around the room lit up, and the colourful opening played. Many coordinators turned pale almost immediately, and Drew clenched his hands harder against the table.

"Welcome one, welcome all, to the biggest event in the coordinating calendar, aside from the Grand Festival that is!" Marian said with a wink, and there was another cheer from the crowd. "In this, the last contest before a three week break, we're giving away the prestigious Hearthome Ribbon to the winner! It's much sought after, and we're confident that we'll have an exciting contest ahead of ourselves! On that note, let's get things started!"

The first coordinator was already in the wings, and was poised to go on stage as soon as her name was called. May turned to Drew, who was shaking visibly. She placed a hand on top of his to calm him, and he turned sharply to face her, his cheeks more colourful than the rest of his face.

"When is your appeal?" She asked, removing her hand gently.

"I'm fifth, as far as I'm aware."

"Over and done with quickly, then."

"When is yours?"

"I'm last. I asked for special conditions, and they do that last so it's easier."

"Water field?"

"You wish! Much more exciting. Trust me, you'll never see anything as exciting again," May said with a knowing nod.

"I'm sure it'll be great."

"Drew?" A voice called, and he shakily got up to his feet. "You're up soon, so get ready."

"Good luck," May said.

"Thanks," Drew managed, the word barely leaving his mouth.

He made his way down the thin corridor, walking past Clarissa, who had just finished her appeal. She snorted at him on his way past, and he shot a glare at her in return. He was trying to stay composed but it wasn't working, and his hands were shaking even more than usual. As he reached the end of the corridor, the girl in front of him ran out onto the stage, leaving a trail of glitter behind her. He leaned against the wall, hearing nothing but the 'oohs' and 'aahs' of approval from the audience. His appeal wasn't graceful or powerful, but drew inspiration from May's performances- powerful, and showing exactly what his Pokémon were capable of.

"Next up, we have Drew Hayden all the way from La Rousse City in the Hoenn Region! Lets give him a warm welcome!"

He couldn't bring himself to run out this time, instead taking his time to walk. The crowd clapped, and he took his position at the back of the stage, Pokéballs in hand. He swallowed hard as the clapping died down, and took one last deep breath.

"Roserade, Absol, let's do it!" He threw the Pokéballs into the air, and his Pokémon appeared in a flash of light and dark flower petals surrounding them. "Absol, use Dark Pulse, and Roserade, jump and use Toxic!"

Absol positioned itself in the centre of the stage, releasing Dark Pulse in a circular pattern around itself, chilling the audience to the bone. Roserade fired Toxic into the energy, each glob of poison disappearing into the Dark Pulse with a shock of purple sparkles.

"Now, Roserade, Solar Beam! Absol, keep that Dark Pulse coming!"

At Drew's command, Roserade landed on Absol's back, using the momentum to push itself back into the air as it charged it's Solar Beam. Once it was ready, Absol jumped too, leaving the remnants of the Dark Pulse behind. Roserade fired Solar Beam straight down, the light absorbing the remnants of the Dark Pulse. The two Pokémon landed gracefully, the last of Roserade's Solar Beam dispersing and leaving the Pokémon shimmering in the last light.

Drew bowed as the crowd clapped; glad that the combination had turned out as good as, if not better than, the times they had practiced. He returned his Pokémon as the judges gave their comments, not that he was really listening to them. He turned on his heel as soon as they were done, and left quickly, not wanting to spend another second on the stage.

May was waiting in the room for him, but he avoided her, instead making his way to the other end of the room, where he knew none of the coordinators. He felt sick- although his appeal had gone right, he couldn't help but wonder if he had done anywhere enough. Out of the corner of his eye he could see May; she was standing now, hands clasped in front of her. She made a move towards him, but changed her mind, sitting down again.

The appeals continued as in every other contest. Some were amazing, with beautiful displays of power and grace, and some not so much. Drew was disappointed to note that Harley was there, and his appeal outshone Drew's, with his use of Octillery's Fire Blast and Ariados's String Shot engulfing the arena in fire. Soon, it was May's turn, and Drew turned his full attention to the screen, transfixed on the girl standing in the middle of the field.

"Alright, this is our final appeal! It comes with a special conditions request from May from Petalburg, so please, hit the lights!" Marian called, and soon the hall was plunged into darkness. There were worried murmurs from the audience, but soon May was ready. A light flickered on in the centre of the arena, and it moved slightly as though it was spinning. Drew realised it was May, and the lights were coming from her clothes. It was almost ingenious- he certainly wouldn't have thought of it.

"Wartortle, Clefairy, let's go!" The Pokémon appeared from their balls in flashes of light caused by the use of electric seals. Illuminated by the lights on May's skirt, they look their places at her feet. "Now, Clefairy, use Cosmic Power!"

Suddenly, the arena was filled with light from the move, and Drew understood why May could only practice at night. Sure, he had watched her from the window last week, but it looked even more beautiful in the context of a contest. A myriad of stars, no, a _galaxy_ , appeared overhead, casting it's light over the arena, and turning May into a star herself. But she wasn't done- no, far from it.

"Wartortle, Bubble, and follow it up with Ice Beam!" The bubbles floated across the illusion of space, and Wartortle effectively froze them in place with a well-timed shot of ice. The bubbles stopped, shimmering in the light of the Cosmic Power like stars. "Clefairy, use Meteor Mash!"

The steel type move was a contrast in power to the moves that preceded it, but the Moon Pokémon jumped into the air, punching the Bubbles with its tiny yet powerful fists, destroying the bubbles in a shock of sparkles. The Cosmic Power faded as the two Pokémon landed, and the lights went up, giving May time to bow. The crowd went wild, and even backstage there was applause of approval.

* * *

"I don't know how you pulled that off," Drew admitted, seating himself beside May once again.

"Neither do I," she laughed, rubbing the back of her neck. "It was an experiment once, back before the Floaroma Contest. But it worked, eventually, so I'm pretty happy."

"You should be. Top of the leaderboard is your position, I bet."

"I doubt it. There were so many good appeals! Like yours, for example."

"And, may I say, mine, perhaps?" Another voice replied, sitting across from May at the table they were seated at. Both teenagers looked up, their faces clearly falling when they saw that Harley had joined their conversation.

"What do you want, Harley?" Drew asked tiredly, not in any sort of mood to put up with his annoying nature.

"I just wanted to congratulate May here on her three ribbons so far! I would congratulate you too, but I think we all know how you're doing," he said, passing off his insult with a laugh.

"Harley, there's no need," May chastised, sighing at him in evident disgust.

"Well, I could pick your appeal apart, honey, and tell you every single thing that you should fix, but I'll be-" At this point, Drew pushed his chair back, standing up and leaning towards Harley across the table.

"What is your problem?" He spat, and Harley raised one eyebrow lazily in response. "I could pick the things out that went wrong in your appeal as well, and May could do the same with mine, but it doesn't mean that I'm a better coordinator, or you are, or she is, so shut up, Harley! I don't want to deal with you for another season, so you better stop now before I… before I call Solidad!" He said, coming up with the best threat he could think of in the timeframe.

"Drew…" May hissed, pulling on his sleeve to make him sit down. They were causing a commotion, and luckily for them, the screen changed, announcing the people who were going through to the second round. May's face appeared first, Harley was eighth and Drew squeezed in in fourteenth position.

"I made it," he murmured, a small smile appearing on his face.

"Didn't we all?" Harley drawled, rolling his eyes.

"We're one step closer to the ribbon," May reminded. "Up to four battles…"

"I'll meet you in the final," Drew said, his old confidence coming back.

"You better," May agreed, nodding sharply.

"What about me?" Harley asked.

"What about you? I'm battling you in the first round," Drew pointed out, motioning the board, which had shuffled itself into second round match ups. "And… well, I don't intend on losing!"

* * *

The second round started quickly after that, with both Harley and Drew being ushered into the wings and then out onto the main stage. The dust battlefield offered an advantage for Drew, with the Pokémon he was intending to use for this round. They would be almost invincible against the Pokémon he knew Harley to have.

"Welcome back, folks, to this, the Hearthome City Pokémon Contest! We kick off our second round with a battle between Drew and Harley; two coordinators form the Hoenn region! We're aware that they have some kind of rivalry, so we're sure this will be an interesting battle! Five minutes on the clock! Let's go!"

"Wigglytuff, Cacturne, let's do it!"

"Flygon, Masquerain, go!"

The timer went off as the heart seals from Harley's Pokémon faded, and Harley smiled across the battlefield at Drew, sickly sweet and slightly off putting.

"You know, Drew, I really have a problem with you. You don't know when to give up! After Johto, you seriously owe me, so you can pay me back here! Cacturne, Needle Arm, and Wigglytuff, Echoed Voice!"

Cacturne threw itself at Flygon, who flew upwards to dodge, leaving the other Pokémon to fall near Drew's feet, grimacing. Masquerain was caught up in the Echoed Voice, and both sides lost an equal amount of points.

"Flygon, take no chances! Get up close and use Flamethrower, and Masquerain, use Stun Spore to help!"

The yellow spores floated down, sparkling under the spotlights. As soon as Cacturne breathed in, it was paralysed, leaving it wide open for Flygon to attack close range. Cacturne fainted quickly, and the buzzers from the judges went off as Harley returned his signature Pokémon with a scowl. His points were halved, and he tapped his foot impatiently. Less than a minute had gone by, and Drew already had an astonishing lead.

"Wigglytuff, Echoed Voice again!"

This time, it was stronger, as was the gimmick with the move. Flygon and Masquerain didn't stand a chance against it, so stayed strong, hoping to absorb the attack instead of taking damage from it.

"Now, Flygon, Dragon Pulse and Masquerain, Silver Wind!" The two attacks combined into a pillar of pure white light, firing towards Wigglytuff at an alarming pace. Without Harley's command, the Pokémon blew itself up, floating out of harm's way. The attack clipped its foot, but Wigglytuff didn't seem harmed in any way.

"I guess your combinations aren't up to scratch yet, Drew, honey! Wigglytuff, Echoed Voice again!"

"Dodge!" Drew called, desperation clear in his voice. His Pokémon couldn't move fast enough, and Masquerain was caught up again. This time it was Masquerain that fell, and the buzzers signified it was unable to battle. Drew returned it to its ball, and turned back to Harley. "Steel Wing, Flygon! Let's take it down!" The attack hit straight on, with Wigglytuff not having enough time to dodge. "While it's down, use Dragon Pulse!"

This barrage of attacks was too much for Wigglytuff, who fainted almost immediately. Flygon retreated back to Drew, who returned his Pokémon to it's own ball, leaving the stage quickly, much to the evident distaste of Harley. Drew smirked- at least, that had put him in his place.

The rest of the round went predictably- May won her battle, Clarissa lost to her opponent (Drew confessed he didn't notice she got through), and the final battle of the round was won by a trainer Drew hadn't seen before. In the next round, he would face the winner of Clarissa's battle, and if it worked out the way he wanted, he would face May in the finals.

The second battle seemed easier than the one against Harley, and soon he was standing across from May in the finals, ready to fight her for the ribbon he so desperately wanted. She was smiling, which unnerved him slightly, but he shook all doubts out of his head and concentrated on the task at hand- beating May's Pokémon in the final round.

"It's all come down to this, ladies and gentlemen!" Marian announced, standing in the middle of the battlefield. "It'll be a win for Hoenn no matter who wins this coveted prize, but which trainer will it be? On out left, we have May, from Petalburg City!" A camera appeared in front of her face, and she waved, her smile projected onto the screens. "And on our right be have Drew, from La Rousse City! I'm sure this will be an exciting battle!" Marian said with a wink, and Drew's face flushed with colour as the camera was stuck in front of his face. "Five minutes until we have a winner of the Hearthome Contest! On your marks, get set, go!"

"Let's both do our best, Drew!" May called, Pokéballs in hand. "Blaziken, Beautifly, take the stage!"

"Butterfree, Arcanine, go!" The two Pokémon landed on the stage, Butterfree on Arcanine's head, who promptly shook the bug type off.

"So you're using Arcanine…" May commented, a worried expression passing across her face.

"This is a risk I'm willing to take for this ribbon! Arcanine, use Fire Blast, and Butterfree, Psybeam!" The two attacks collided, sending a multicoloured column of fire towards May's Pokémon.

"Block it Blaziken, and then Beautifly, use Aerial Ace on Butterfree!" Blaziken jumped to attention in front of Beautifly, folding its arms to brace itself for the attack. The Psybeam caused the most damage, but Blaziken stood strong as Beautifly darted out from behind it, attacking Butterfree and being back in place without Drew even noticing.

"Now, Arcanine, use ExtremeSpeed! Follow it up with an Aerial Ace of your own, Butterfree!" Butterfree darted towards Blaziken, who, caught off guard, got hit full on by the attack. Arcanine was gone in an instant, and reappeared right in front of Beautifly just as it was too late. Beautifly fell backwards, hitting the ground but fluttering upwards again, weakly flapping its wings.

"Beautifly, use Morning Sun! And Blaziken, cover Beautifly with a Fire Spin!"

Beautifly took in light from the spotlights, which wasn't as good as natural sunlight, but it sufficed, it's wings turning almost iridescent in the light. Blaziken hit Arcanine with its Fire Spin, who had jumped in front of Butterfree. It didn't seem fazed, but Drew did, glaring at the Legendary Pokémon for moving without a command. Beautifly was soon fully healed, and fluttered back to Blaziken's side.

"Arcanine, use ExtremeSpeed again!" The Pokémon didn't however, firing a Fire Blast directly at Beautifly, who despite just being healed, fell straight to the ground with the tune of the judges' buzzers in the background. "Arcanine!" Drew called in exasperation, noticing his own points depleting for the Pokémon not listening to him. The fire type turned its nose up, closing its eyes to block it's trainer out. "Fine, be like that! Butterfree, multiple Aerial Aces!"

The Pokémon was faster than May's eyes could follow, and she wasn't able to command Blaziken to block in time for any of the attacks. Her Pokémon was on its last legs, and she was running out of ideas. Butterfree wouldn't be a problem with a fire type like Blaziken, but she knew that Drew's Arcanine would be a problem. With it not listening to its trainer, it could pull anything out of the bag, and May didn't want to risk making a move that would cost her the battle.

"Blaziken, use Blaze Kick!" It looked as though the attack would hit, but Arcanine jumped in again, preventing the move from hitting Butterfree.

"Oh, so you're joining in again?" Drew said, glancing up at the screen. His points were just above that of May's, and there was little over thirty seconds on the clock. "Fine! Let's do it! Outrage! And Butterfree, stay on guard with a Protect ready if Arcanine needs it!"

This time, the Pokémon listened, jumping into action and readying the move. It was risky at best, and Drew knew it, but from the panicked look on May's face, he knew it was a winner. Arcanine fired its attack at Blaziken, who sidestepped, even in it's weakened state.

"Blaziken! Try Sky Uppercut!" May called, desperation evident in her voice.

"No chance! Protect, Butterfree!"

"Blaze kick!"

"Outrage!"

"That's it!" Marian called, and the timer went off, loudly interrupting the battle. Arcanine stopped and looked around in a dazed state, and Drew knew that if the time hadn't gone of then, he most certainly would've lost. "It was a close one, but the winner of the Hearthome City Pokémon Contest, and the prestigious Hearthome Ribbon, is none other than Drew Hayden! Congratulations!"

Drew stood in a state of shock for a few seconds, before the cheering of the crowd reached a climax, and he realised what had happened. Smiling, he thanked his Pokémon, before hastily returning them to their Pokéballs. May was doing the same, patting her Blaziken on the head before tapping it gently with its Pokéball.

It was tradition for the winner and runner up to shake hands at the end of the contest, so Drew made his way into the centre of the battlefield, hand outstretched to May. She followed his movements, but instead of shaking his hand, she wrapped her arms around his neck in an awkward embrace. Drew returned the hug almost robotically, placing his arm around her waist.

"I'm so proud of you," she whispered, ignoring the catcalls from the crowd.

"Thanks," Drew said, his voice shaky.

She stepped backwards, allowing him to be presented with his ribbon. He turned round to May, holding the ribbon up with a smile that took up his whole face. Finally, _finally_ , he had broken through, and won his first Super Contest.

* * *

 _A/N: This chapter is pretty much unedited since I'm sick and I was at a con all weekend so I'm dead af but here! I'm pretty pleased with it and we finally got Harley and actual cs stuff :') also, fun fact, Solidad is watching wherever she is and crying a lot. Bless her._


	8. Chapter 8

Drew left through the back exit, followed closely by May. They were avoiding the cameras, and the fans, despite knowing that it would probably be no better at the back. At least this way, it was a closer dash to the Pokémon Centre. Drew pushed through the crowd that had inevitably gathered, with May apologizing to everyone he shoved out the way, signing autographs without even looking and smiling when a camera was shoved in her face.

Thankfully, since everyone was out at the contest, the Pokémon Centre was relatively empty. Nurse Joy offered her congratulations to Drew and commiserations to May on their way upstairs, and a few trainers who were watching the contest there (they probably missed out on tickets) nodded in excitement as they passed.

"It's still early," Drew pointed out as they arrived at his room. May was ready to say goodbye and go to sleep, but his words stopped her. "We should like… order pizza, or something."

"I would usually say no to entering strange boy's rooms alone, but well… you're promising pizza, so I'm game," May laughed, following Drew inside.

His room was a lot better kept than hers, with only a pair of shoes and his bag sitting on the ground. He clearly made use of the drawers provided, unlike May who just dumped everything on the carpet, which also looked cleaner in Drew's room. He had moved a couple of chairs in front of the window, which looked out onto the battlefield outside. The sun had set before they left the contest hall, and the sky was filled with winter stars, not a cloud visible, making it all the chillier. Drew fished in his bag for his PokéNav, and phoned the pizza company while May stared absent mindedly out the window.

"That was a good battle today," Drew commented, sitting down opposite her.

"You're only saying that because you won," May teased, eliciting a halfhearted glare from Drew. "I'm _joking_. It was nice to battle you again. I am surprised you used Arcanine, after what happened the last time."

"And I'm surprised you used Beautifly, since you said you didn't have her with you," Drew shot back, raising an eyebrow.

"I wasn't lying! I've been rotating my Pokémon and I wanted to try her out again," May explained, knotting her fingers together.

"Well then. This is for Beautifly," Drew said, producing a rose out of thin air and presenting it to her. It had been a good month or so since he had last done that, and it made her smile; a memory from before.

"I'm sure she'll love it."

The pizza arrived after that, and a comfortable silence fell between the pair as they air, polishing off the pizza in a matter of minutes. Drew shut the blinds, and May leaned back on her chair, checking her PokéNav to see many encouraging messages from her parents and friends after her loss. Drew was suddenly struck with an idea, and grabbed his own PokéNav, holding it and his ribbon up in front of May.

"What are you doing?"

"Taking a selfie, with you, obviously. I need to update my Instagram."

"Drew, you know I hate taking selfies," May protested, squirming to get away from him.

"Well, you're not taking it, so smile!" Reluctantly, May posed for the picture and watched while Drew put filters over it and carefully typed his caption. Her own PokéNav buzzed with a notification from her tag in the picture, and she rolled her eyes at the caption.

" _Spending the evening with my fave. Oh, and May's here too!_ Thanks, Drew, making me sound so insignificant like that," she said, dramatically putting a hand to her forehead.

"Hey, I bought you pizza and gave you a rose, so you should be pleased. I don't extend that privilege to just anyone, you know."

"Oh, so you give roses to other girls too?" May said, feigning hurt and placing a hand over her heart.

"N-no! Just to… to you," Drew said, a lot more seriously than he intended and with a blush tinting his cheeks. May didn't know how to respond, and stared almost horrified at him. "Anyway!" Drew declared, coughing loudly. "Where are you off to next? Are you staying in Hearthome for Christmas? I was thinking maybe we could-"

"Actually, I'm going back to Hoenn. Apparently my dad hasn't been too well, so I said to my mom that I'd come back for Christmas to see her. Just… just in case anything happens, you know?" May said with a shrug, an apologetic look in her eyes.

"Oh, that's okay. I'm sorry to hear."

"You could come with me?" May suggested. "I'm sure my parents would love to see you again! And your parents probably miss you too."

"I doubt they care that much," Drew laughed. "I kinda… well, I didn't ask them if I could go on a journey. I just left one day, with Roselia. The only time I've really heard from them as of late was when I won the Johto Grand Festival, and they genuinely asked if that was me."

"Oh. I… I didn't know."

"I never really talk about it," Drew shrugged, smiling almost fondly. "Solidad's more like a mom to me anyway," he laughed, and May laughed too, immediately more at ease.

"I think Solidad's like that with everyone. I was surprised not to see her today!"

"I'm more surprised she only has the one ribbon. She's leaving it a bit late in the season to get all of them."

"You only have one too, remember?"

"Well, at least I've been trying."

"Solidad doesn't need to try," May pointed out, and Drew nodded in agreement.

The evening continued like this- comments on the season so far, discussing strategies and appeals and what Pokémon to use when. They watched the contest that was today in Hoenn- the time zone allowed them to do this often- and commented on how awful some of the performances were. They trash talked Harley, and bitched about Clarissa and her posse, and finally May left, exhausted but happy and not worried about Drew at all.

* * *

"I'm so glad you're home," Caroline said, sweeping her daughter up into her arms as if she hadn't seen the girl in three years. It had only been a matter of months from they had spoken in person, but May called home at least twice a week, and made an effort to talk to each member of her family separately so she could find out what was going on over in Hoenn.

The house was completely decked out for Christmas- after all, there were only a few days to go before the big event, and Caroline had gone all out once again. The roof was covered in fairy lights, and if May had somehow forgotten her way home, she would certainly know the right direction to go. Fake icicles hung from the windows, and tinsel was draped around the banisters. The tree in the living room was just as big as always, and May rolled her eyes when she noticed that the star on the top had practically fallen off.

"You got some presents, by the way. Two came last week and one this morning, and of course we have some for you as well!"

"You know, you don't have to do that. I make money, I don't need you buying things for me."

"Nonsense! That's what Christmas is for! Oh, and where's Drew? I thought he was coming?" Caroline asked, her mood suddenly changing.

"Oh, that weenie's coming to stay with us?" Max asked, appearing in the doorway, seemingly just to insult Drew.

"Max, you could've at least greeted your sister before insulting her… friend."

"Hi, May," Max supplied begrudgingly. "So, where is he?"

"He's not coming. I did ask him, but he was pretty unwilling, so I didn't press it."

"Fair enough. Well, if he changes his mind, you know he's welcome here!"

"Where's dad?" May asked, setting her bag by the door and finally kicking off her shoes.

"He's at work. Even though both I and the doctors warned him that it's probably not a good idea to go to work," Caroline sighed.

"There'll be no challengers at this time of year, mom. I told you!" Max said, rolling his eyes.

"Well anyway, it's not a good idea. He should be resting!"

Caroline finally let her daughter move, and May immediately took up her favourite seat in the corner of the sofa. A contest was on, no surprise, but it turned out to be a highlights show from the previous week's events. May flicked through the channels, before Max came in and stole the remote off her. It was nice to be back in Hoenn- everything felt so… _natural._ In Sinnoh, she was constantly trying so hard to be the best coordinator she could, competing with Harley and Drew and Solidad and Clarissa and countless other coordinators whose name's she would probably never know. But she was at home in Hoenn, and in that moment, May decided she would live here permanently once she gave up coordinating. Of course, that was a long while off, but she was the sort of person to think far in advance for things like that.

"Oh, May," Caroline called, coming back into the room. "A letter came for you this morning. Usually I open your letters for you- ones from banks, and stuff- but this one says 'Private and Confidential' on it, so I thought I'd let you open it, since you're here."

"Thanks," May replied, taking the thin envelope from her mom and ripping the top open.

 _Dear Miss Maple,_ it read,

 _I'm not sure if you remember me, but we met once, a long time ago, in Granite Cave. My name is Steven Stone, and I am the former champion of the Hoenn region. Our meeting was at least eight years ago, so I don't blame you if you don't remember._

 _I have been watching your contests on the TV, as I have a newfound appreciation for them as of this season. Seeing you compete and winning in such a way has reaffirmed my faith in the younger generation of trainers in the Hoenn region, although of course you are not currently living here._

As such, I would like to invite you to be part of a new experiment, run by the Devon Corporation. We are looking for ten trainers to be a part of this exciting event, and we are all in agreement that you would benefit greatly from taking part. Ten letters have been sent out to trainers from the Hoenn region, all from different walks of life with different goals when it comes to being a trainer.

This experiment will involve you learning about and partaking in the process of Mega Evolution. We here at the Devon Corporation hope that you are aware of this process, however if you require more information before coming to a decision, we will be happy to provide it. We are aware that you posses a Blaziken, one Pokémon that we know to be able to Mega Evolve, and we hope that you will offer your time to help us with our research.

 _We would like to see you in Rustboro City on the first weekend in January, the 6_ _th_ _-8_ _th_ _, starting at 6pm on the Friday, and leaving at 2pm on the Sunday. We hope that you will be able to make this event._

 _Please phone or email the company to let us know if you plan to attend._

 _Yours sincerely,_

 _Steven Stone, Deputy CEO of the Devon Corporation_

"Who sent it?" Caroline asked, trying and failing to respect May's privacy.

"Steven Stone," May answered, her facial expression matched completely in the bewilderment of her mother.

"An ex-champion sent a letter to you?" Max said, turning the volume down on the TV, as this was so much more exciting than the program about the breeding patters of Huntail and Gorebyss.

"Yes. He wants me to partake in an experiment about Mega Evolution in January."

"That is so cool! May, you have to go! This could be what makes or breaks you as a trainer!" Max said, snatching the letter out of her hands.

"I know, but… the Snowpoint contest is the 9th of January. There's no way I'll make it back to Sinnoh in time! Not to mention I won't have time to train!"

"Then you'll just have to miss the contest," Norman said, entering the room to hear the last of the conversation.

"But-"

"Max is right. This could be what makes you into a great trainer, May. Not that you aren't already, but think about the advantage you could have over other coordinators."

That sparked something in May's mind. Drew wouldn't have Mega Evolution. Harley wouldn't either. And most importantly for her, Solidad wouldn't have it. She folded the letter in half, putting it back in the envelope.

"I guess I have an important phone call to make."

* * *

Christmas Day came and went without much of a fuss, apart from a parcel that arrived on Christmas Eve addressed to May. It was tossed under the tree without much care, but with no sender name on it, it intrigued May into opening it first on Christmas Morning. She tore the lilac paper off, and cut into the box, to see another box inside- a tiny, handheld camcorder.

"Do people still use those?" Max asked, peering over her shoulder.

"Apparently so." There was a note too, at the bottom of the box. May lifted it, scanning the words written in a familiar calligraphy.

 _I was going to get you this and surprise you on Christmas Day, but since you're not here, I had to send it out to you. You should make some proper 'May's Expeditions' on this._

 _\- Drew_

"He's so gross," Max commented, rolling his eyes.

"I didn't get him anything," May said, a hint of guilt evident in her voice.

"Good. He's a weenie, he doesn't deserve anything."

"Max, will you please stop calling him that!"

* * *

Rustboro City wasn't cold in January, apparently, and May regretted bringing her winter coat. She had gotten acclimatized to the freezing weather in Sinnoh in winter, and had practically forgotten about the warmer weather in Hoenn. She had to take her coat off as soon as she got out of the car, and thanked her mother, conveniently leaving the winter item in the vehicle.

The Devon Corp building wasn't too far away from the Pokémon Centre where she was left off. She saw some other trainers headed in the same direction that looked about her years, and the butterflies in her stomach settled. The building was huge, and as soon as she entered the lobby, she saw a small gathering of other trainers and the corner, and was instinctively drawn towards them.

"May Maple, am I surprised to see you! I thought you were in Sinnoh?" A voice called, which she immediately recognised.

"Tyson! Wow, it's been a long time," she said, smiling warmly. "Yeah, I've been competing there! But I'm home for Christmas. And then I got summoned here, so…"

"Weren't we all?" He laughed.

"Excuse me?" A voice called, and a slightly older man stepped through, running a hand through his hair. "Are we all here?" He asked, counting quickly the group of trainers gathered. "Yes, it seems so. Follow me, please. I'm Steven Stone, and I'll be looking after you for this weekend."

The trainers followed him up one flight of stairs in silence, his intimidating nature preventing everyone from speaking. May took this time to look around her- she recognised many of the trainers, having either met them personally, or having seen them on the TV in the previous few years.

"We only have eight out of the ten invited here," Steven explained, holding a door open for them. "Two, Janet Santos and Andrew Hayden never responded, since we couldn't get permanent addresses for them and sent their invitations to our best guess. That means we have three Pokémon Coordinators, four Pokémon Trainers and one Pokémon Breeder. We welcome you here to the Devon Corporation, where we hope you will feel at home for the next few days."

There was generally mumbling in acknowledgment as Steven excused himself, leaving the trainers in the room alone. The room was dark, apart from a spotlight on the wall. It was shining over a long shelf, decorated with mysterious looking stones. May stepped towards them, glancing along the line of stones. They sparkled under the light, reflecting bright colours off the wall.

"As you can see," Steven said, returning to the room with an older man in tow, "those are mega stones. We will train you to use them with your Pokémon, and we have a stone for everyone, along with a keystone that will allow you to actually use the power." The other trainers moved towards the stones, trying to figure out which ones belonged to them.

"I told you in my preliminary letter which Pokémon you would be able to Mega Evolve this weekend, so the stones are set out in order. The Hoenn starters are closest to the door, and they should be easy enough to understand colour wise. Next we have Gardevoir, and Glalie. Sableye is next, and Manectric and Absol are last. Please take your stones and the keystone beside it."

May moved to the end, taking the red stone second from the left. It was warmer than she expected, and she pocketed it, slipping the keystone in the form of a ring onto her finger. Everyone else moved back to their positions after they took their stone, and uncomfortable silence filling the room.

"There," Steven sighed, smiling finally. "That's the most stressful part out of the road. Now, let's go outside. I will show you how to partake in Mega Evolution!"

The battlefield at the back of the Devon Corp was well laid out, and there was a water battlefield just beyond a fence. Steven stood at one end of the battlefield, and waited patiently until everyone else filed out of the building. Mr. Stone stood in the middle at the opposite edge, as if to officiate.

"Now, I need someone to battle against." His eyes scanned the crowd, before settling on Tyson. "How about you, Tyson? And don't use your Sceptile, please."

"Sure thing!" Tyson ran to the other end of the field, stretching quickly in the artificial light, now the sky was dimming. "Donphan, let's go!"

"Metagross, your assistance, please!" Steven called, tossing his Pokéball onto the field. Metagross arrived on the field, floating menacingly above the ground. "I will show you the true power of Mega Evolution! Metagross, let out hearts become one!" Steven tapped the keystone attached to his lapel, engulfing Metagross in a bright pink light. Yellow light extended from his keystone, and in a flash, Metagross had grown to a bigger size, it's appearance changing drastically. "The first move is yours, Tyson."

"Alright, Donphan, Earthquake!" Metagross would normally have been knocked out by this move, but it seemed unfazed, smiling at the opposing Pokémon.

"Now, Metagross, use Meteor Mash!" The Pokémon moved without even being seen, and suddenly Donphan was out cold, only one move needed to take it down.

"No way!"

"Yes way. That, ladies and gentlemen, was the power of Mega Evolution. Hence why it's banned in a lot of competitions unless both sides possess it," Steven said, fixing his cravat nervously. "I hope that you will all be able to use this power to its full ability!"

* * *

The rest of the programme for the weekend involved solitary training, and after waking up early on Saturday morning, May made her way down to the training field, takeaway coffee in hand. She wasn't a keen coffee drinker like Drew, but it did help, especially on mornings like this, when the sun didn't rise right away. The battlefield only had one other person on it, standing at the end of the field, Manectric out in front of them.

"Good morning," May called, waving to the man.

"Good morning," Robert replied, turning to face her. "You're May Maple, correct? The favourite to win this years Sinnoh Grand Festival."

"That's me!" May said nervously, rubbing the back of her neck nervously.

"You've been doing pretty well. Although I'm not competing this year, I enjoy watching as many contests as I can, even if requires a lot of catch up TV and staying up late," he laughed. "Some of your combinations are just stunning."

"Thank you!" May said, genuinely pleased at the praise from a Top Coordinator. "Why are you not competing?"

"I was asked to be a judge in the Johto region this year, where I'm originally from, not that I've lived there for a long time. I have been thinking of returning, however. I miss the simple life," he laughed. "However, I've been completing my education. I'm doing a degree here in Rustboro in Social Sciences, in which I look closely at Pokémon Coordinators."

"That sounds so interesting! I'd love to do something like that, but I'm not really academic at all. Training suits me a lot better!"

"Why don't we battle now? I'd love to battle against another coordinator. It's been a while!"

"I'd love to," May said sincerely, running to the other end of the field. She fished Blaziken's Pokéball out of her pocket. "Alright, Blaziken, let's try this thing!"

"Manectric, are you ready?"

"Alright…" May said hesitantly, running her finger over the metal of the ring. "Blaziken, let's connect our hearts! Mega Evolve!"

"Manectric, let's come together in spirit and power!"

Light filled the battlefield, and suddenly Manectric and Blaziken were replaced by Pokémon that looked somewhat similar yet simultaneously completely different. May grinned- it had worked, first try. Now this was something that she could use in contests- stunning and powerful in one command with no effort from either Pokémon or Coordinator.

"Well done!" Steven called, emerging from the building. "Now, let's see what two amazing coordinators can do. Time to battle!"

* * *

 _A/N: The Drew chapters are so much more fun to write, I'm discovering, since they have the emotional angst ad shipping stuff in them c: but I'm pretty happy with this chapter! Do review if you enjoyed (i hate begging for reviews but im also thirsty for them rip)_


	9. Chapter 9

"What time does her ship come in at?"

"Ten to eight."

"And what time is it now?"

"A quarter to eight."

"Did she ask you to come pick her up?"

"No," Drew admitted, turning his head away to look over the sea. The sun had almost completely set, and the streetlights were beginning to flicker on.

"That's cute," Solidad laughed, placing one hand on Drew's shoulder affectionately.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Drew said, shaking her off with a glare.

"I think you know," she laughed, folding her arms across her chest and leaning against the railings. "Anyway, where are you off to next?"

"The Sunyshore Contest is in a few weeks, so I might just stay here. I'll ask May what she thinks before I decide."

"Personally, I don't think the Sunyshore Contest is a bad idea," Solidad agreed. "But since you only have four months left, and three ribbons left to win, you have to get at least one more ribbon before the Sunyshore Contest to be safe."

"I suppose you're right. Where do you think is a good idea?"

"I would try Pastoria City."

"We've just come from there," Drew complained, running a frustrated hand through his hair.

"I know, but you left before I had a chance to tell you otherwise. I suppose May is more important to you than your coordinating," Solidad teased, causing the glare to come back to Drew's face.

"What gives you that idea?"

"Well, the fact that you ran out here without a second thought when she called saying she was coming is _kinda_ obvious. And you've always talked about her a lot."

"W-well," Drew said, clearing his throat and sighing. "Maybe she is important to me. Not more than coordinating, though."

"At the minute," Solidad smiled, her usual knowing look on her face.

"Solidad, what are you fishing for?"

"I think if you admit this to yourself it'll make your life a whole lot easier."

"I don't have anything to admit. Especially not to you, Solidad."

"Your defensiveness is just proving my point."

Drew turned away, facing the end of the pier, where a large ferry was just about visible on the horizon. He heard Solidad laugh from behind him, and ignored her, wanting nothing more than to pretend she wasn't there. He didn't ask her to come, and she had invited herself along. It would be a surprise for May to say the least- two coordinators she wasn't expecting to meet off the boat from Hoenn.

He was jealous of her- she always took the slightly cheaper, slightly longer journeys that ended up in the south of the region, in Sunyshore City. It was warmer here than in Snowpoint- even the names of the two cities gave that away. Here, he didn't need the coat he had brought, although the crisp ocean breeze forced him to cross his arms to block out the cold blasts of air.

"Here she comes," Solidad hissed, elbowing Drew in the ribs. The ship had pulled into the harbour, massive and imposing over the people waiting on the pier. May was one of the first off the ship, and upon spotting Drew and Solidad, made her way quickly over to them.

"Hey!" She called, waving wildly as she ran up to them. She had tanned slightly over the Hoenn winter- nowhere near as cold as it was in Sinnoh- and had seemingly forgotten about the temperature difference. She was wearing shorts and a vest- a daring move anywhere, never mind in almost minus temperatures, and perched atop her head was a Pokémon.

"What is _that_?" Drew questioned as she stopped.

"No 'hi May, how was your trip? I'm glad to see you again'? Just an insult? I shouldn't expect anything less. Hi, Solidad!" She said, turning away from the green haired trainer to the sound of Solidad's snort.

"That's a nice Swablu, May. It looks well trained already!"

"Thanks," May said, blushing from the compliment. "I caught it just before I left, so I used my time on the boat to train it. Hopefully we'll be able to pull off some cool combinations!"

"Altaria are a popular breed of Pokémon for contests, so you'll be fine," Drew supplied helpfully.

"I've seen a lot of interesting uses for them, but I'm hoping my idea will blow everyone else out of the water!"

"Well, considering your streak so far, May, I'm sure you'll do wonderfully."

"Thanks, Solidad. Oh, and congratulations on your win in Snowpoint!"

"You're too kind, May."

"No congratulations for me? I won a ribbon too! Ugh, can you please stop this and can we go somewhere warm?" Drew interjected, eyebrows furrowing together.

"Fine, well done, you were great! I don't even know why you're here, Drew. I just told you I was coming back because you asked me to. I didn't expect you to come pick me up."

"I-"

"He came all the way from Pastoria," Solidad informed, causing Drew to flush bright red.

"Cute," May smiled. "Let's go then. I want to sleep, and get some food!"

"Is that all you think about?" Drew complained.

* * *

Drew lay awake for what felt like hours, staring at the ceiling in total darkness. He had been completely blown off by May, who was more interested in seeing Solidad than him. She hadn't even cared when he told her about the new ribbon- whereas last time, she hugged him, and told him how happy she was. They ate pizza together, and were genuinely happy. Maybe he was overreacting. He couldn't expect that level of love each time he won a ribbon. After all, he didn't do that for each of her contest wins.

She was only a few rooms away from him right now, and his instincts were telling him to stay where he was. His brain told him otherwise, and he swung his legs over the side of the bed onto the laminate flooring. He lifted a hoodie from the chair beside him and slipped his feet into a pair of slippers left at the foot of his bed. The clock only read 11:30, so he hoped that she was still awake.

The corridor was dark and quiet, but the bubble of casual conversation from the lobby was still audible. The Pokémon Centre was twenty-four hours, but people generally went to their rooms at eleven. Trainers generally got up early to train, with the exception of people like Drew, who had to have at least three coffees to function before nine a.m. He knocked on May's door, three down from him, and waited until he heard the shuffling from inside.

"What are you doing here?" She asked as she opened the door. Unlike him, she was still fully dressed, and clearly had no intention of sleeping yet. He put this down to the time difference between the two regions.

"I wanted to talk to you."

"Come in, then." She held the door open wider, and he padded inside. She shoved piles of clothes to the side- she had only been here for an hour, he had no idea how he managed to make such a mess in such a short time. She sat on her bed, while Drew sat opposite, on a slightly rickety looking stool. "What did you want?"

"I… I just wanted to say that I missed you while you were away. And I'm sorry for turning up at the port without telling you I was going to."

"It's fine," she said, brushing her hair with her fingers. "I was just surprised to see you, that's all."

"I thought you were mad at me."

"No! Drew, something like that isn't gonna make me mad. Something that does make me mad, thought, is the fact that you missed this really cool thing in Hoenn that you were specifically invited to."

"What 'really cool thing' was this? And why didn't I know about it?"

"It was a weekend with the people from Devon Corp. They were talking about Mega Evolution, and helped people get started. They said they sent you an invite, but they had to guess since they didn't know where you were. If I'd known before I got there I would've called," May explained sympathetically.

"So what you're saying is… you can now use Mega Evolution? And I missed out on this?"

"Yep, pretty much."

"Can I see your key stone?" Drew asked, life flooding back into his eyes. He wasn't angry, or even jealous, just overwhelmed at the thought of the process. May held her hand out, the stone on her finger glittering under the fluorescent lighting. "I really wished I had found out about this."

"I guess they sent your letter to your parents house, since that's technically, by law at least, where you live."

"I haven't been there in almost eight years."

"But you've never registered another permanent residence, so there's no other record."

"Maybe I should get a place somewhere, just so I can get post."

"Maybe you should."

"Where would you like to live, if you could live anywhere?" Drew asked. "Hypothetically."

"As much as I enjoy travelling, I'd probably want to go back home to Hoenn. Maybe not Petalburg- it's too rural. And definitely not Mauville, too big. Maybe… Slateport. Or Lilycove!"

"Trust you to pick the two biggest coordinating cities in all of Hoenn," Drew snorted. "I'd have to agree with you though. They're by far the nicest cities back home."

"I've been thinking about going back to Hoenn after I finish here in Sinnoh," May admitted, staring down at her knees.

"What? Why? Are you not going to try Unova out? I've heard it's going really great over there!"

"I do want to, but I'd rather take a year out, get some good ideas, train a lot, catch more Pokémon! I have a Pokédex to complete too, don't forget."

"I always forget that you're one of Hoenn's esteemed dexholders."

"There's loads of us, its not that important," May said, putting a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Well, if you're not going to Unova, then neither am I."

"What, why not?"

"I can't go without my favourite rival."

* * *

The beach on Route 222 quickly became a favourite spot of May and Drew's with the latter taking on Solidad's advice and entering the Pastoria Contest. They trained there in the evenings, Pokémon battling fiercely on the golden sand. The setting sun hit the sea, refracting off and casting the area in an orange light. The area was beautiful, and eventually, the battling stopped, and they sat there, just staring out over the sea.

"I really hope you win the Pastoria Contest," May said vaguely, looking at her own collection of three ribbons.

"That would mean we would have the same number of ribbons again," Drew said, nodding slowly.

"You deserve the win. And if Harley's there, you have to beat him again for me."

"I'll do just that."

And he did. May took the day off from training to watch the contest, which was a lot smaller than she would've imagined for it being in a city. Drew pulled off a spectacular win, coming first in the appeals round with Roserade. He sailed through the second and third rounds, and beat Harley in the finals, just as May asked, using a Pokémon she had never seen Drew with in his life. It was a Quagsire, which he had caught in late December in the Great Marsh.

Harley was less than impressed, losing to the boy for the second time in just a matter of weeks. He ended up putting in a formal complaint with the judges, who quickly over turned it with no basis to turn the ribbon over to Harley. Drew had won, fair and square, and he and May laughed about it when they read it in Coordinators Weekly two days later.

"He needs to stop acting so grand and accept that he's only a mediocre coordinator. There's nothing particularly spectacular about any of his combinations, and he uses pretty much the same appeals every time."

"He used to be better," May admitted, resting her head in her hands. They had taken up their usual spot on the beach, a light breeze blowing the sand up in flurries at their feet.

"He was a powerhouse in Johto! But he completely crumbled just before the Grand Festival, and he's been blaming it on everyone else."

"You should ask Solidad about it. She knows him pretty well, doesn't she?"

"Why can't you ask her?" Drew protested. He had received several texts of encouragement from Solidad in the last few weeks, which he conveniently ignored. He did reply to her congratulations for the Pastoria contest, however, in an effort to remain friends with her.

"You're closer with her than I am! You turn up places unannounced with her all the time. Maybe it's because you like her?" May joked, laughing nervously.

"No way," Drew denied, shaking his head fervently. "She's more like my mom than anything else, to be honest. She always calls to check I'm eating and sleeping enough. I'm surprised she hasn't adopted me or something by now."

"Imagine if Solidad was actually your mom though. I feel like she'd be a really good parent, actually."

"Why are we even talking about this?"

"I don't know."

They sat in comfortable silence for another twenty minutes, May lying back onto the path behind them. No one was ever around on this route at this time of day, apart from the night guard and the people who lived in the two houses. Occasionally there was a fisherman, trying his luck later at night, but no one apart from them dared to go onto the beach late at night. The tide was beginning to come in when May sat up, rescuing her shoes she had kicked off earlier from the clutches of the beach.

"It's only four days until the Sunyshore Contest," Drew commented. "Are you ready?"

"Not even nearly," May laughed, pulling her shoes back on. "I assume you are? Drew Hayden, top coordinator is ready for anything."

"You wish," Drew laughed, hauling himself to his feet and holding a hand out for May, who grabbed it to help herself up. She didn't let go of his hand right away, and as she did, Drew grabbed it tighter, looking away from her. "You… you have sand in your hair," he excused, reaching out and brushing the obvious grains from her hair.

"Thanks," she mumbled, dropping his hand and fixing her hairband. "We should get back to the Pokémon Centre."

"You're right."

The small gesture made the short walk back awkward and uncomfortable. May avoided looking directly at Drew, who stared at the ground the whole time. They parted ways in the Pokémon Centre, with Drew lingering outside May's door for a moment longer than he probably should've.

* * *

"Venusaur, take the stage!" May said, tossing her Pokéball into the air, releasing the Pokémon in a flurry of pink petals. "Use Petal Dance!"

It was a risky move, but worth it, since the whole stage was covered in a further shower of petals. Venusaur's size increased the amount of petals it could create, and they shimmered under the artificial light.

"Now, Frenzy Plant!"

Drew watched from backstage, his arms folded and his eyebrows lowered in concentration. She was doing a good job- the Frenzy Plant destroyed the petals in a spark of pink glitter, before the vines retracted into the ground again.

"It doesn't look that good," a voice commented from beside him, and he glanced down to see a girl a lot shorter and possibly a few years younger than him standing there. She hadn't been there before, but had taken a similar stance to the way he was standing.

"I think it's good," Drew said, shaking his head at her comment.

"You would say that."

"What's that supposed to mean?" He said, narrowing his eyebrows.

"Everyone in the coordinating world knows you and May are like… a thing."

"We're not," Drew said, shaking his hands in front of his face. "I think I would know if we were."

"Whatever you say, Mister Drew. It's my turn to appeal now, so maybe you should critique my appeal instead of hers!"

May appeared from the door as soon as the girl disappeared down it, her face a mixture of delight at her appeal and confusion at Drew's expression.

"What's that look about?"

"That girl was so rude to me. And about you. She said your appeal didn't look that good," Drew explained. "I thought it was good though," he added as an after thought.

"Oh, Briana? That surprises me. She used to be obsessed with you. She once told me she was going to confess her love to you after she won her first ribbon," May said, laughing fondly at the memory. "Come to think of it, I'm not sure she ever has won a ribbon."

"That girl likes me?" Drew spluttered, an expression of incredulity on his face.

"Liked, at least. It's kinda cute if you ask me," May said, her nervous laugh now returning.

"Right."

Briana's appeal was nothing short of amazing- she had a Rapidash create stunning fireworks at the very rafters of the building, a pit of fire at its feet. May smiled, impressed, while Drew merely looked slightly disgusted. She came back out from the stage, a smug smile plastered across her mouth.

"Well? What did you think?" She asked, and May could practically see the stars in her eyes.

"It was nice," Drew managed, trying his best not to act too flustered.

"I agree! You had a really nice use of-" May began, but the girl cut her off.

"I didn't ask _you,_ May. I asked Mister Drew. And… that promise still stands!" She said, turning on her heel and walking away in a huff.

"Brace yourself," May muttered to Drew, who leaned in closer to hear her. "I think she might go all the way."

* * *

Neither May nor Drew made it to the finals of the contest, with a lot of fierce competition from coordinators both were sure they'd meet again in the Grand Festival. Briana, however, made it to the finals, and beat her opponent with three well timed attacks from her Flygon. May and Drew sat in the audience, changed from their contest clothes back into normal wear. May raised an eyebrow pointedly at Drew when she was announced as the winner, and he glared at her in response, and left the building as he could.

He returned to the Pokémon Centre in the evening, after a long walk on the beach to clear his head. He didn't invite May with him- she was the source of most of his problems at the moment. He didn't know how to reject Briana if she did in fact profess her love as she apparently promised May all that time ago. It would make it obvious, at least to Briana, that he did have feelings for May, and knowing her and her spiteful ways, she would tell May, and his life would effectively be over.

"Drew!" Nurse Joy called, and he made his way over to see her. "This was left here for you." She handed a small envelope to him, his name written on the front in swirly handwriting.

"Thanks," he said, unwillingly taking it from her and making his way upstairs. He paused outside May's room, before knocking on the door and waiting for her to come out.

"What do you want? It's late!" She said, rubbing her eyes.

"It's not that late," Drew said. "I got a letter."

"Oh! Come in! I want to see your face when you read it."

"Why do you enjoy my suffering?" He asked rhetorically.

"Because you make it so easy," she replied, eliciting a glare from him. "Read it out loud!"

"Fine." He cleared his throat before beginning. " _Dear Mr Drew. I promised myself long ago that once I won a contest ribbon I would tell you something very important. So here it is, written in plain view: I love you. I know that you'll probably just ignore this because your heart belongs to someone else, but I needed to get it off my chest. Briana."_

"Who does your heart belong to?" May asked, grabbing the letter from his hands.

"No one!" Drew bluffed. "I don't know where she got that from."

"Well, what are you going to do about this?"

"Nothing."

"You can't just do nothing when a girl professes her love to you!"

"I think ignoring her might be the easiest way. And avoiding her."

"Well, whatever. She'll probably beat you up the next time she sees you, though."

"That's why 'avoid her' was part of my plan," Drew grimaced.

* * *

 _A/N: Poor Drew. At least he has more ribbons now!_


	10. Chapter 10

May had the rest of her route around Sinnoh perfectly planned out. She would head north to Veilstone, win that contest, head west to Alamos Town, and then back southeast for Lake Valor. It was changeable, of course, depending on if she won the contests or not, but this was her plan, and she was sticking to it. This was not a discussion she wanted to have with Drew, who decided to take a huff about it right outside the Pokémon Centre.

"What do you mean, you're going to Veilstone?"

"I mean, I'm heading up to Veilstone City. I want to enter the contest there," May explained, causing Drew to sigh.

"Fine. I'll come with you then."

"No. I want to be able to train without giving all my secrets away, Drew. And besides, if you come to Veilstone with me, you won't get a Ribbon, and we all know you need that win!"

"Where else can I go, then?"

"Sandalstraw has another contest coming up soon, and as far as I'm aware, so does Floaroma. But there's a list on the website Drew, you should check it out!"

"I'll just ask Solidad."

"You probably want to avoid competing where Solidad is," May advised. "You won't get a ribbon out of it, so it'd be a waste of your time."

"You have a point. I suppose I'm heading west then," Drew said, lifting his bag with a sigh.

"I'll see you at the Grand Festival, then."

"You aren't going to call me until the Grand Festival, then?" Drew asked, looking mock hurt.

"That's not what I said and you know it," May said, hitting him halfheartedly on the arm. "I'll even call the Pokémon Centre if you say where you are. But don't expect too much! I'll be busy training!"

"I hope so. You still have a lot to do to be able to beat me, May!"

"You wish. I bet I manage to get all my ribbons before you do!"

"We'll just have to see who comes out on top on the day, right?"

"Right. See you, May."

"Bye, Drew."

The turned in opposite directions, making different ways out of the town. May headed out the normal entrance, while Drew surfed along the coast on his newly caught Quagsire. Route 222 was as picturesque as ever, the early morning sun casting a light on the area that May had never seen before. Evening and night she was used to, with shades of every colour changing the water. Purples and oranges and deep blues stained the atmosphere, but with the sun high in the sky, and no clouds visible, May had never seen the water as blue. The sand was especially golden, and the sun lit up the solar panels on the houses. The route was busier as well- trainers stopped her for a quick battle, and she got valuable training time with Swablu and Clefairy.

It was a long walk up to Veilstone, and May knew that this was one area where she would have to camp out overnight. It was already afternoon by the time she made it to Lake Valor, and instead of trying to continue what she knew would be a losing battle, she made a short detour through the clearing. The water here was different to the sea- still and clear, with Pokémon visible through the water. On the opposite side of the lake, there was an area of land that May knew would be good for training, and in the centre, an island with some sort of cavern on it.

She didn't have Wartortle with her, so crossing the lake that way was an impossibility. She could've swam, but that would've been less than pleasant. Instead, she stayed where she was, kicking off her shoes and dipping her feet in the water. Immediately after she did this, she regretted it- although the February air wasn't as chilly here, the water was still freezing. May lifted her feet out again, making an attempt to dry them on the grass. Sighing, she pulled her shoes on again, and pushed herself off the ground, grabbing her bag and slinging it over her shoulders.

She made her way out of the area, back onto the route up to Veilstone City. The layout, from what she could see, at least, was confusing, so she cut her losses and set up camp not far from the entrance to Lake Valor. In theory, if she walked fast enough, she would make it to Veilstone before dark tomorrow. The contest wasn't until the very end of the week, so she was in no rush. It was Monday, and she had until Saturday to get there. She would be fine, she reminded herself.

May missed camping out with other people. Ash, Brock and Max may have got on her nerves frequently, but they were possibly the best friends and travelling partners she ever could've asked for. She had been alone in Johto for the most part, and now in Sinnoh too. Staying in Pokémon Centres was so much better- there, she was indoors, warm, and safe, and her worries were effectively cut in half.

There wasn't much to do when you were out on your own, so May got out her notebook that she planned her contests in and scribbled on the page. She desperately wanted to use Swablu in a contest, but knew that the poor bird wasn't ready for the world of coordinating just yet. She had used Blaziken in Hearthome, and although that was more than a month ago, she didn't want to look like that was her only trick. After going through all her options, she decided on Skitty for the appeal and Munchlax for the battles. These two were a risky choice, since she relied on luck, like Metronome and Assist to make the most of them, but it had paid off in the past, so why not now?

There was one appeal that she reckoned she should start practicing for now, but knew that it was impossible. She wanted more than anything else to be able to use Altaria in the appeals round of the Grand Festival, but at this rate of going, Swablu wouldn't even have evolved by then, never mind be up to the task of performing the perfect appeal that May had in mind. It would be complicated, but it was there in her mind- she could _see_ it, which is more than she could say for most of her appeals. Usually they came by accident, when she was calling out random attacks to see what would work. But this time, when she closed her eyes and thought, she could see each move play out, how it would look, and the sound of the crowd cheering and the perfect score she would get for it.

* * *

Veilstone looking almost eerie at nighttime, with the stone walls and ground blocking out any sound, not adding to the atmosphere. The glow of the streetlamps was absorbed by the dull grey of the rest of the city. May noticed meteorites in craters on her way into the city, and was immediately pulled back into the memory of the time she met Deoxys. On her way to the Pokémon Centre, she spotted a department store, and her heart soared. Although it was closed now, she was making it her priority tomorrow to relax and shop. She could train in the evening, and as the city also had a gym, it would be easier to train at night.

The Pokémon Centre was full when she arrived, meaning that she had to camp out on a chair in the lobby. It was uncomfortable, but it was at least fifteen degrees warmer than last night, so she couldn't complain. With the contest coming up so soon, she wasn't surprised that there were no free rooms, but the lobby quickly filled up too, with trainers perched against walls and sprawled out in sleeping bags on the floor. She felt bad about taking one of the only chairs, but after squirming for a bit she got comfortable, and changed her mind.

Morning came suddenly- May hadn't even realised she had fallen asleep. The gradual awakening of many of the patrons awoke her, either getting up out of their sleeping bags, or those who were lucky enough to procure a room stepping over the unconscious bodies. She rubbed the last remains of sleep from her eyes, and after seeing someone hand a room key back in to Nurse Joy, practically sprinted to the counter.

"Can I have a room for tonight?" She asked eagerly.

"None of the rooms have been cleaned yet, so I can't give you a key, but I can certainly put your name down!"

"May Maple."

"Lovely. You can collect your key from three p.m."

"Thank you so much," May gushed, and without another word, headed for the shower room.

Although it had been less than two days, it felt good to have a shower after walking for such a long time and having to sleep outside. The hot water took away all her troubles and massaged her muscles, and May left the showers with damp hair and a smile on her face. She towel dried her hair in the lobby, not caring for the odd stare of other patrons. It was a public place, and there were plenty worse things she could be doing. Once she dragged a brush through her hair to make it sit semi-flat, she pulled out her PokéNav, punching in Drew's number, which she was ashamed to admit she had managed to memorise over the last few months.

"Hello?" A sleepy voice answered, and May couldn't help but laugh.

"Good morning! I… I didn't wake you up, did I?" She asked, a hint of concern creeping into her voice.

"No. Solidad did that," Drew sighed, causing May to laugh. "Anyway, why are you calling so early?"

"Are you in a Pokémon Centre tonight? I was thinking I could call you, if you are."

"I'm in Hearthome," he answered succinctly. "Ten o'clock good for you?"

"Sure! I'll patch through when I can."

"You better get some good training in, May. I managed to come up with three Grand Festival level combinations," Drew boasted, and May rolled her eyes, knowing that this was one opportunity she had to do so without him commenting on it.

"I have a great idea, thank you very much. It just… involves some factors that I don't know how they'll play out."

"Like Swablu evolving?"

"Bingo. How did you know?"

"Don't forget, I was born into coordinating, while you were born into battling. Which means that although you train your Pokémon to be strong, mine are more beautiful by nature, which is why I always beat you."

"May I remind you of-"

"Okay, okay," Drew laughed, knowing what May was about to start into. "I really don't need a list of all the times you've ever beaten me. Although, my wins vastly outweigh yours."

"You're so _insufferable_ Drew. I can't believe I manage to put up with you. And god knows how Solidad manages it."

"She's more used to it than you are," Drew commented, and May swore blind that she could hear him flick his hair.

"Well, my good arrogant friend, I'll leave you to train, since I have my own impossibly booked schedule. Go… chat up some Hearthome girls, or something," May laughed, knowing that he had other plans for the day, probably involving Butterfree and Roserade more than any local girls.

"You better pencil me in for ten," Drew reminded, conveniently ignoring her jab.

"I will, I will. I'll see you later, then."

"Bye, May."

Right. With that out of the way (she felt bad for taking so much time out of his day, but knew she would feel worse if he complained about her not calling him) May set out, leaving what little comfort the Pokémon Centre had to offer behind. She had heard of strong trainers on Route 215, and headed west, hoping to either bump into all of them or avoid all of them, one of the two.

The first option would be better- Swablu could get more experience points and hopefully evolve. This was something she desperately needed- as soon as she got Altaria, she would be flying- literally. Not only did it mean amazing contest appeals, worthy of grand festival praise, but it meant less walking, which was always a bonus. She knew for a fact that both Drew and Solidad had flying types in their party, and she highly doubted that Harley didn't have a Flying type Pokémon. And although yes, in theory she could fly on Swablu, she didn't want the tiny Pokémon to have to carry all her weight.

That's why, in the middle of a heated double battle with a pair of Ace Trainers, with Munchlax covering Swablu's back, and two Pokémon blocking any way of escaping, a white light enveloped Swablu, and May's face lit up. They had spent a long time training- in fact, May felt guilty of ignoring her other Pokémon in favour of the newcomer. So when the tiny bird that could easily perch upon the top of her head vanished and was replaced with the majestic creature that she automatically could _tell_ was built for contests, May felt like she could fly without the help of any Pokémon at all.

* * *

"Skitty, take the stage!"

The Kitten Pokémon erupted from May's Pokéball in a burst of pink hearts, which floated around the stage, mainly around Skitty. There were audible gasps from the audience and judges- Skitty's appearance alone was enough to win her points. But the real points came when she started using moves, and May had prepared for this day. She had yet to rely on Assist while in Sinnoh, and although she had taken the risk of Metronome in Floaroma Town, Assist was completely different in it's execution.

For a start, there were only twenty moves it could possibly pull from May's team. May had taken this into account- she had Skitty practice with her other Pokémon, specifically the ones that had learned new moves within the last few months. And, if everything went according to plan, she would end up with a stunning appeal that would pull her miles ahead of the competition.

"Skitty, use Assist!" May called, and watched with bated breath as the normal type Pokémon pulled a move out of the pool. A whirlwind was created out of nowhere, electric and terrifying, completely engulfing the Pokémon and bursting the pink hearts with jolts of blue electricity. May looked on with horror. What _was_ this move?

 _"What a wonderful Dragon Dance! It looks as though the power on that move will give Skitty a huge power burst! How will May react to this?"_ Marian called, and May knew that this must be Altaria's move, which there was no way she could've predicted. Not only were Altaria's moves still pretty unknown to her, there wasn't a feasible way she could've practiced this move, thinking back on it. So that's why now, she let the attack fizzle out anticlimactically, to a worried murmur from the audience. The power that Skitty had gained was noticeable on its face, and the Pokémon was gently bouncing up and down.

"Skitty, Blizzard!" May commanded in a flash of inspiration. The judges were probably expecting her to take advantage of the attack boost, but she would use its speed to her advantage. This wasn't something that she'd ever done before, and was possibly the biggest risk to her coordinating career yet, but she thought it best considering the situation. The battlefield was quickly covered in snow, with more flakes gently falling from the point where Skitty had fired the attack.

"Skitty, run about and build a snowman!"

There were gasps of horror from the judges, but as a cat, Skitty knew all about the concept of a ball. Caroline was often horrified to find her balls of wool trailed out by Skitty, and May knew that if she was watched she would understand where this came from. Soon, there were three balls of snow on the ground in front of May, and Skitty was standing in front of them.

"Use Pound to hit them into place!"

The balls went flying into the air and landed perfectly, one on top of another, in a neat pile that was most definitely a snowman. Skitty was clever- in an act of defiance from it's trainer, it jumped up and scraped what was clearly supposed to be a face onto the top, and May merely laughed, bowing as the crowd cheered. It was unexpected, it was risky, but hey, it had May written all over it, and it meant she left the Veilstone Contest with another ribbon to add to her collection.

* * *

The Alamos Contest wasn't until the last day of the month, so May reckoned she had time to spare for a few days of training in Veilstone. True to her word, she had visited the Department Store, and spent a lot more money that she cared to admit on things she didn't really need. With that done, she decided to spend quality time with her Pokémon, making sure they were primed and perfect for the next contest. The Alamos Contest also fell under the Double Performance rule, giving her one last opportunity to practice a double appeal.

This honour came down to Wartortle and Blaziken, with May planning to use Venusaur and Beautifly in the second round. May was well versed in using these two Pokémon for stunning yet effective combinations. The changing elements of fire and water were unpredictable when put together, and the appeal would either go wonderfully or horrendously, with no middle ground. Which is why that now, the build up and training would make or break the combination.

"Alright, you two have done this before," May explained kindly to her two Pokémon, who nodded in acknowledgment. "This is just like the time we battled Drew in the Kanto Grand Festival. I know that was a long time ago, but trust me, it'll still be in there!"

The two Pokémon nodded, and took up complimenting positions at opposite ends of the battlefield. It looked almost comical- Wartortle was just over half of Blaziken's height. The last time they had tried this combination, Blaziken was a Combusken, so the feel of the moves would be different this time, but May trusted in her Pokémon and knew they would pull it off without any problem.

"Alright, Blaziken, use Fire Spin, and Wartortle, Bubble!"

The moves combined in an upward spiral, flashes of dangerous electricity emanating off it. It looked good, and would score her points no problem in a battle, but as an appeal it was definitely lacking, and May knew what she would have to do to make it better. Her appeals so far this season relied either on unpredictable moves or sheer power, and she knew that the latter would be what got her through the Alamos Contest and out the other side with a ribbon in hand. And to achieve this meant extra training with both her Pokémon.

"Wartortle! We're gonna try something new!" The Pokémon looked at her in confusion, before setting his mouth straight and nodding in determination. He had come a long way since she first got him, way back in Kanto. As a Squirtle he cried and complained a lot, but as a Wartortle, he was practically untouchable emotions wise, and she couldn't wait to see what he was like if and when he evolved.

"Try to focus all your energy in one spot, at the front of your mouth, then release it all in one go! Like Water Gun, only ten times stronger!" He nodded yet again, and did as May instructed. It didn't quite work, but with gentle encouragement, May knew he would get it. "You too, Blaziken! Feel the move- stronger than Fire Spin but weaker than Overheat, okay!"

It took a few hours and many failed attempts, with May's other Pokémon pitching in to help, but eventually the form was there, and the power was something they could work on while in Alamos Town. There was one thing left to do before leaving: see if the combination would actually work.

"Blaziken, use Flamethrower, and Wartortle, Hydro Pump!"

The Pokémon fired the moves at each other, crashing in mid air with a spark of electricity and a loud explosion. When the dust cleared, they both looked at May, sheepish and scared.

"It's okay! Practice makes perfect! It'll be perfect by the contest, I know it! Let's take a break."

Her Pokémon smiled in acknowledgment, and wandered off to join the others, seated under a tree at the other end of the battlefield. May joined them, setting a bowl of Poffins out for them to eat. They deserved a treat, and May knew it. It had been so long since she had time to just sit with them and rest, and she was determined to make the most of it.

* * *

.


	11. Chapter 11

One more ribbon was all he needed. One more ribbon, and the Grand Festival would be within his sights. At this point, he didn't even caring about winning it- just getting there was enough of a feat. That's why, when it came down to it, Drew needed to win the Celestic Town ribbon. It wasn't even that he wanted to win it. He _had_ to. It was the last ribbon available to him.

He cursed himself for leaving it so late. He would train, he told himself, and wait until he felt completely confident. And as such, he waited so long there was only one opportunity left for him to get that fifth ribbon. Everyone else he knew had got theirs already- May had secured hers with ease, and even Harley had won his five more than a few weeks ago. Solidad, however, was another story.

Her face covered Coordinators Weekly after it happened, smiling into the camera. It was rare for her to ever talk to the magazine, so her appearance was snapped up by hundreds of coordinators and contest fans over all the regions. Drew, being his usual awkward self, read it in the Pokémon Centre after someone had left it on the coffee table. (They came back for it later and made him sign it.)

The International Contest Association changed things up this year in Sinnoh, to see if it worked or not, and clearly Solidad had somehow known about this. On an island to the north of Sinnoh, known as the Battle Zone, they held a weekend of contests, that Drew later kicked himself for not knowing about. Solidad, however, did hear about it, and was on the boat to the island.

They ran three contests, one in each area, Friday to Sunday. Coordinators had to make their own way there, and around the island, and compete in contests while there. It was a true test of strength, and Solidad excelled, winning _all three_ of the ribbons available and completing her collection. They interviewed her there and then, and she shot to the top of the betting tables, practically destined to win the Grand Festival.

Drew had beaten her before in Johto for the title, so there was no reason someone couldn't do it again.

He was ready for the Celestic Contest, at the very least. He had left Arcanine in the PC Box, and was planning on using Quagsire and Flygon to carry himself through to the finals and the ribbon. This was his last chance, and he couldn't blow it. It was the last step he'd have to take, and then entering the Grand Festival was a real objective.

* * *

Solidad met with Drew in Celestic Town, waiting for him outside the Pokémon Centre as he came back from a hard day of training. The route to the west of Celestic Town was perpetually covered in fog, and made for good training grounds for Drew's Pokémon. The fog added another layer of difficulty they wouldn't have normally seen, and meant that their reaction times were increased due to their heightened senses. Absol particularly benefited from this, and the Disaster Pokémon managed to come up with a way to use its Dark Pulse to clear the fog in little patches. Drew banked this idea, wondering if it was somehow a move he could use in the Grand Festival.

"Nice to see you."

"You too, Solidad," he said, walking behind her into the Pokémon Centre. "Are you staying here?"

"Yes. I was thinking I'd treat you to dinner. I have to be away early after the contest, so I won't have time then. Think of this as a pre-congratulations," she smiled, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"There's no where in Celestic Town to eat," Drew pointed out. "In fact, there's nothing in Celestic Town at all."

"I know," she laughed. "That's why I have reservations for two at a cute restaurant in Eterna City. It's popular and cheap, I ate there when we were there before."

"Alright, alright."

"Great! Meet me back here in half an hour. I'm gonna go get ready."

Drew took longer than half an hour to get ready, insisting on taking a shower and styling his hair properly before arriving in the lobby once more. Solidad was already there, legs crossed and chewing her lip impatiently. She stood up as soon as she saw Drew, making her way towards the door before he could even get to her.

"I've never met a man who takes so long to get ready," she sighed, calling her Pokémon out. A Swanna landed in front of her, spreading and folding its wings before it was comfortable.

"Where did you get that?" Drew asked, avoiding her previous statement.

"In Unova. I caught it when I travelled there over the summer last year. It was so cute as a Ducklett, and now look at it! Graceful and contest ready!"

"Will we be seeing it at the Grand Festival?" Drew asked, calling out his Flygon and mounting it cautiously.

"I think you'll have to wait and see," Solidad laughed, ruffling it's feathers. "Off to Eterna City, then!"

Only Mt Coronet separated the two towns, and despite the huge mountain range between them, the two towns had a similar feel to them. It had only been a few months since he was last in the city, but Eterna seemed fresh and new in the late April light. The sun had began to set, leaving a twilight glow over the town. Drew and Solidad landed outside the Pokémon Centre, and she led him through the streets to a restaurant, tucked away in a far corner of the town.

"Reservation for two, under…" Solidad started, but was cut off by the man on the door, who practically shoved two menus in their faces.

"Right away, miss!" He said, leading them through to their table. "Enjoy your meal!"

"Wow, you're famous," Drew laughed as they took their seats.

"I wouldn't say I'm the only one. Those girls behind you have certainly noticed who you are."

"Yeah, a failing coordinator who is only hanging on to the Grand Festival by a thread," he replied miserably, glancing at the menu.

"A failing _top_ coordinator Drew, don't forget," Solidad laughed, running a finger down the menu until her nail pointed at the dish she wanted. "The Celestic Contest may be your last chance at this Grand Festival, but… well, there's always next year. A new region, perhaps?"

"Nah. I've got… other plans."

"What do you mean, other plans? That sounds suspicious," Solidad asked, a smirk appearing on her face.

"Shut it."

"I didn't say anything!" She exclaimed, mock hurt. A waiter came over, and Solidad placed her order in a string of words that Drew couldn't quite understand. He pointed at his own choice, too angry and flustered at Solidad's comment to speak anymore. "So," Solidad began again, this time softer. "What are these other plans?"

"May said she didn't want to go to Unova, which is where I was planning on going at the end of the season. She wants to go back to Hoenn, so I… I said I'd go with her."

"That's cute."

"Wh-what do you mean cute?"

"I mean, it's cute that you'd put your career on hold for a girl who wants to go home more than go halfway across the world," she said, smiling across at him. "Unova is _nice_ , though," she added as an afterthought.

"So is Hoenn. And besides, it's home for both of us. I know Kanto is for you."

"And I fully expect to return to Pewter City someday."

"But… well, I haven't won the Grand Festival there before, so…"

"You only came second, right?"

"Right," Drew nodded. "So, by that logic, I should come first if I do it again."

"And are you going to travel around and camp like you did before?" Solidad asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I was thinking of buying an apartment, or something. I need somewhere where I can get mail to, and sleep in a comfortable bed at night."

"And will you live there alone?" Solidad prodded.

"Yes," Drew answered defiantly, glaring across the table at her.

"I was just asking!"

Their food arrived after that, surprisingly quickly for a restaurant of that size. Silence fell among them, which Drew was infinitely appreciative of, since that meant Solidad wasn't asking invasive questions that he wasn't willing to give the answers to. She had done that whole spiel the last time they had met about admitting to himself, which he ignored. He had admitted it to himself, and when he thought back on it, it was a lot longer than he thought originally. The first event he could think of was the time she saved his life on Mirage Island, and even thinking of it over some convoluted roast dinner made him blush.

Their plates were swept away, replaced with dessert menus that Drew didn't really want in front of him, but since Solidad was paying, he forced himself to order a cheesecake, while she ordered possibly the biggest slice of chocolate cake he had ever seen.

"Um… excuse me?" A timid voice came from the edge of their table, and they both turned to see a girl no older than Drew standing with a copy of Coordinators Weekly in her hands. "I was wondering if you could sign this?" She asked, directing the question at Solidad. Drew snorted, and the older woman gave him a glare.

"Of course," she smiled, turning her attention back to the girl. "What's your name?"

"Normajean! I'd love to be a coordinator, but I'm working in the Pokémon Day Care at the minute," she said shyly, as Solidad scribbled on the front cover of the magazine.

"Well, I think that's a wonderful job! I've used the Pokémon Day Care in the past, not here, but at home, and I think it's a really useful service." She handed the magazine back to Normajean, signed and with a message of ' _never give up!_ ' written in her signature swirly handwriting.

"Thank you so much!" She squealed, and went off to rejoin her friends.

"I told you you were the famous one," Drew smirked, cutting slices of his cheesecake and not eating them.

"I'm surprised, to be honest. You won a Grand Festival last year, and mine was the year before that, so by that logic you should be more popular than I am!"

"And it has nothing to do with the fact that you won three ribbons in as many days?" Drew shot back, finally eating some of his dessert.

"Well," Solidad laughed, "I suppose that helps."

As they left the restaurant, with Solidad generously paying the bill, the sun had set, and a small group of paparazzi had gathered outside the restaurant door. Solidad pushed through them, Swanna's Pokéball firmly in her hand. Drew followed close behind her. He smiled apologetically at them, as they fired questions at her that she was clearly keen not to answer. She called out her Swanna and flew off before Drew could tell her to ignore them, floating in the air out of their reach. He called his Flygon out; jumping on it's back and following her over the mountain.

"They were… a handful," Drew said helpfully as they landed in Celestic Town.

"Tell me about it," she sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Anyway, back to our previous conversation." She steered him by the shoulders towards a group of seats by the door. "Are you just going to Hoenn because May is?"

"She's my rival; I'm not going to Unova without-"

"Oh, cut the _crap_ , Drew!" Solidad said, crossing her arms. "Are you going to Hoenn because you like May? Maybe that was a more accurate question."

"I…"

"Everyone knows, Drew. You talked about her like you loved her from the moment I met you. I _knew_ that there was something going on between you, and this and her move at the Hearthome Contest-"

"Hey, that was completely platonic-"

"Make me think that maybe you _do_ love her. Maybe that's why you're so set on going back to Hoenn."

"Fine! Fine, if it'll make you shut up… I do. I do like May, maybe I even love her. But I'm not sure she feels the same way about me, so I haven't told her!"

"Yet."

"…yet," Drew sighed, rubbing his face in exasperation.

"Are you going to?" Solidad asked, her voice gentler than before.

"I will, even if she doesn't reciprocate my feelings. After the Grand Festival, no matter what happens."

"I think you'll be… pleasantly surprised," Solidad said, standing up and stretching. She ruffled his hair, a warm look passing over her face. "Good job, kid."

* * *

Drew was running late for the contest, as per usual. He had woken up late, and only had ten minutes to get himself over to the contest hall for registration. So of course, this would be the morning where he couldn't find his bag or his clothes. After successfully doing so, he was down to six minutes, and ran out of his room and downstairs and out the door and _right_ into someone, making him stumble backwards into the wall.

"Hey, watch where- Drew!"

"May," he regarded, it coming out a lot colder than he intended. "Why are you here?"

"I came to watch you! Solidad told me you were competing here, so I thought I'd take the day off from training to see you."

"Of course she did. Well, I'll see you afterwards. I have four minutes until I have to be there," he excused, running off in the opposite direction.

"Good luck!" She called after him, and he smiled. That was possibly the only thing that could've calmed his stress levels on a day like this.

* * *

"This is it, folks, the final contest in Sinnoh before the Grand Festival!" Marian announced, to the crowd cheering in response. "The lucky winner of this contest will walk away with the Celestic Ribbon and most likely a place in the Sinnoh Grand Festival! So let's get right to it, and welcome our judges!"

Backstage was completely silent, and the air was tense. Drew had never competed in a final contest before, and he knew that he didn't want to do so ever again. Everyone in the room was after the same prize, only this time with stakes twice as high. It was Celestic or bust- no Grand Festival for all but one of the people in the room.

And of course, Drew was certain it would be him.

His appeal was due to take place in the middle of the first round, and as his name was called by a runner, he felt sick to his stomach. This was it- the appeal that would make or break his career. He just had to pray that what he had in store would be enough to impress the judges.

" _Next up is a coordinator that we all know, all the way from Hoenn, it's Drew!"_ Marian called, and he took that as his cue to enter the stage. His hands were shaking with nervousness, but with a few deep breaths, he managed to calm himself. He knew that both May and Solidad were in the audience, and he was more worried about impressing them than impressing the judges.

"Quagsire, let's do this!"

" _And Drew opens with Quagsire, a Pokémon that is rarely seen on the contest stage. I wonder how this will work out?"_

"Use Muddy Water!"

Although not attractive in any sense of the word, there was something interesting about the move as it crashed to the edges of the stage, flowing back towards Drew, who sidestepped to avoid getting it on his contest outfit. It settled, and Drew was quick to call out his next attack.

"Earthquake!"

Quagsire stomped it's foot against the ground, and it shook violently, casing the water to shoot upwards with the force. There was a gasp from the judges, and Drew smirked, knowing that the move had the desired effect.

"Finish it up with Whirlpool!" The Muddy Water was surrounded in the blue Whirlpool, clean and fresh and powerful. The water dissipated slowly, leaving only the vapour glinting in the spotlights.

" _And Drew finishes what could be seen as a risky appeal with a stunning whirlpool that destroys his previous moves! I'm sure that'll score high with the judges!"_

* * *

The room backstage was even quieter, if that was possible, after the appeals were done. Coordinators stared blankly at the wall, or held their head in their hands, hoping that their last ditch attempts were enough to carry them through the rest of the contest. Marian's voice called out once more after the interval, and every head in the room turned to the TVs, worried expressions clear on everyone's face.

"There are only eight coordinators going through to the next round, and here they are!" Slowly, painstakingly, eight faces appeared on the screen, and luckily for him, Drew was number three. Many coordinators burst into tears, devastated at their chances of top coordinator slipping through their fingers at the last minute. Drew couldn't help himself from smiling- there were only three people he needed to beat in battle out of the group and he put his chances of winning at pretty high.

The first two battles were easy- Drew sailed through them without Flygon taking a hit at all. The Pokémon was still in perfect condition come the final battle, and Drew was ready to continue to the final battle. His opponent, Ivan, apparently, had used a Sceptile in the last two rounds, so if he did again, a win would be easy with Flygon.

But he didn't.

"Weavile, it's your turn!"

"Flygon, let's go!"

Drew cursed himself for not paying enough attention, or he could've swapped Flygon for a Pokémon that stood more of a chance. At least there was one move that Flygon knew that would be super effective, it was just the problem of getting it to hit. Weavile was fast, and so could easily dodge any move that Flygon threw at it. But Drew was ready- this was his last battle until the contest.

"Weavile, use Ice Beam!"

"Dodge, and try Flamethrower!" Weavile darted out of the way of the barrage of flames, gaining ground on Flygon with every passing second. "Get up, Flygon! Out of the way!"

"That's not going to work," the other trainer sneered. "Ice Shard!"

"Intercept with Steel Wing!" If he couldn't get a hit in, he could at least take points off his opponent. The Ice Shard shattered with the force of the Steel Wing, sending icy particles down onto the battlefield.

" _What a move! How will Ivan recover from this?"_

"Use Blizzard, Weavile! And follow it up with Dark Pulse!"

He was giving Drew no room for error, and with two moves right after another, this combination could potentially be devastating for Drew. He had to think _fast_ , and time wasn't something that was on his side.

"Flygon, use Steel Wing and fly right towards Weavile!"

This was dangerous, this was risky, and it wasn't _Drew_ , the coordinator that figured out all his attacks three moves in advance and could often figure out what his opponent would do before they knew themselves. So commanding Flygon to fly straight through an attack that could easily defeat it was sheer lunacy, but it was his only option. Flygon stored power in its wings and flew towards Weavile, cutting the Blizzard and avoiding the Dark Pulse and landing a critical hit.

"Follow it with Flamethrower, close range!"

The close range meant more power, and no time for Weavile to escape. The Pokémon was on its last legs as it was, and the move only worsened its condition, making it fall to the ground. Three buzzers went off simultaneously, and Marian called time on the battle.

" _Well, that's it, everyone! The winner of the battle, and the Celestic Town Contest is Drew, from La Rousse City!"_

* * *

"You did it!" May exclaimed, clasping her hands excitedly in front of her chest.

"That I did," Drew laughed, placing his final ribbon in the middle empty spot of his case.

"And spectacularly, might I add," Solidad said, folding her arms. "So many risks, but they all paid off. You've really come a long way, Drew."

"Thanks," he said, flushing at her compliment. Getting a compliment from Solidad was almost like his mother saying she was proud of him, something that he would never really receive.

"I have to take off now," Solidad excused. "I'll see you two at the Grand Festival!"

"Bye, Solidad! It was so nice to see you again!" May said, waving the older girl off.

"You too, May. It won't be long until we see each other again!"

"She's so annoying," Drew muttered as soon as Solidad was out of earshot.

"What do you mean?"

"It doesn't matter. Let's go."

The lobby of the Contest Hall was still full of people, and May and Drew had to push their way through to get out the door. The town itself was fairy quiet, but Drew walked out, through to the connecting route, which he had come to know well over the previous few weeks. May was still following behind him, and she sat when he sat, at the top of a cliff that probably wasn't safe.

"I really am happy for you. Now, we can go to the Grand Festival, and you better be waiting for me in the finals!" May said, full of her usual enthusiasm.

"I wouldn't want it any other way," Drew confirmed with a nod.

"It's nice up here," May pointed out, trying her best not to look into the canyon below them.

"It's good for clearing your head."

"I'll bear that in mind."

"I'm really worried about the Grand Festival," Drew admitted, staring off into the sky, tinted with orange and pink now the sun was setting.

"What? Why?"

"This whole season has been all over the place for me. First I can't make it through the appeals round, and then I win the Hearthome Contest without a problem. Then I enter the final contest of the year. I'm just worried in case the appeals round doesn't treat me well- sorry," Drew winced remembering May's Johto Grand Festival loss.

"That was last year, Drew. This year will be different. And you'll be fine. I believe in you."

"Thanks, May," he said, taking her hand from her knee and squeezing it gently.

"It was a bit of a role reversal, I guess, you entering the last contest," she giggled. "But… I mean it. If you're not waiting for me in the final round, you're gonna have to answer to me!"

"No problem. I'll be there, don't you worry." Slowly, slowly, he leant towards her, hell bent on kissing her to let her know that his promise was true. Her eyes widened, in fear or shock he would never know. He backed away at the last minute, leaving both himself and May confused.

"I should go. I have to get up early tomorrow."

"I'll walk-"

"No, it's fine."

"I'll stay here and clear my head, then."

"Goodnight, Drew."

"Bye, May."

She walked off, her arms crossed across her chest and walking slightly faster than she usually would. Drew stayed put, crossing his arms across the top of his knees and resting his head on top of them.

He was _so_ stupid.

* * *

 _A/N: Poor Drew has it hard. Reviews are appreciated c:_


	12. Chapter 12

"I always forget how much stuff they sell here," May commented, running her hand along the edge of a stall. "It's gonna take me more than one week to try all the food here!"

"Relax, May. Trust me, you'll find a lot of the stalls sell the same stuff," Solidad pointed out, lifting a glossy past edition of Coordinator's Weekly from the stand and examining it.

"You sound like an expert," May laughed, making her way back towards the main event hall.

"I am," Solidad joked. "I only have two Grand Festivals on you, though, so don't take it to heart."

With only five days to go, coordinators were starting to gather at Lake Valor, ready for the event itself to start. Stalls were already set up, and May had spent the whole of the previous day sampling their foods without having to pay for any. She had found a smoothie stall near the entrance, sort of out of the road but definitely on the map. The owners were oddly familiar to her, and from their reaction, she assumed that they had to have met before.

The whole area was swarming with trainers and their Pokémon, and despite the relaxed location, the tension was still clear in the area. May had found Solidad almost as soon as she had arrived, lounging in the pool area of the hotel area with sunglasses covering her eyes in an attempt to be inconspicuous. Luckily for them, the hotel was practically right beside the arena, meaning no long walks between the areas in the mornings when they were competing. It was also free for all those entering; once they had registered in the main arena, they handed in passes to reception, who gave them rooms. This had to be one of May's favourite parts of coordinating- you were almost treated like royalty when you were good enough.

Sunday was rest day for most coordinators, but as the Grand Festival was coming up faster than most had predicted, cries of different attacks and combination names could be heard clearly across the whole area. With the event starting on Friday, and the final on Sunday, every last moment of training was invaluable in perfecting moves and working with Pokémon. Solidad and May were on their way to practice appeals on the beach, west of Pastoria and south of the resort. It was quiet, yet perfect for training at such a busy time like this.

Neither Harley nor Drew had put in an appearance as yet, which May was glad of. After the whole drama with Drew at Celestic Town, she needed girl time, which was exactly what she was getting with Solidad. She knew, however, that as soon as Drew turned up, that would be over, and she'd have to put up with him, albeit awkwardly.

It wasn't even that she particularly objected to kissing Drew. In fact, the fact that he almost did made her heart speed up a million times, and her face flush red. She shouldn't have reacted the way she did- she _liked_ Drew, so why did she run off? It was completely beyond her why she panicked, but she fully intended to apologise when Drew turned up.

"Something on your mind?" Solidad asked, glancing over at the younger girl, completely lost in her thoughts.

"Oh, no! It's nothing! Nerves, just."

"I'm not surprised," Solidad laughed, apparently buying into her lie. "After what happened last year, anyone would be. Let's just hope you have better luck this year."

"I definitely have more skill," May smiled, confident in her performances to date. "And I have some tricks up my sleeve." She twiddled the ring that resided on her finger, hoping that Mega Evolution would be able to win her the competition.

"I'm glad that you're confident, but… well, put it this way, I have some tricks up my sleeve too. I'm not gonna go easy on you, May."

"I've already agreed with Drew that we'll meet in the finals, and I'm not going to let you stand in my way, Solidad," May said with a smile, placing one tentative foot on the sand.

"Well then," Solidad smiled. "We'll have the best battle the contest world has ever seen."

"You can bet on it!"

Solidad threw two Pokéballs, her Pokémon landing gracefully on the beach. Lapras landed in the water, and Slowbro stood at the edge of the waves, waiting for its trainer to give it a command. Solidad smiled slowly, ready to show May what she had been keeping under wraps for the season.

"Slowbro, Lapras, use Water Pulse!"

"Ugh, will you two keep it down!" A voice yelled from the other end of the beach, causing both of Solidad's Pokémon to stop in their tracks. A pink haired girl marched up the beach, kicking up a cloud of sand around her feet. She whipped her sunglasses off when she reached May and Solidad, and May finally recognised her.

"Clarissa," she said politely, nodding at the girl. Her Pokémon hovered behind her, glaring at the other two coordinators. "Your Medicham is looking well."

"She would be looking better if you weren't here training loudly and disturbing everyone in the area!"

"This is a public beach," Solidad said calmly, moving between May and Clarissa. "Perhaps it would be better if you went somewhere else to train, since mediation is what makes Medicham strong and you're not going to get peace like that here. I suggest-"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. I'm from this region, princess, and I know it and super contests better than you ever will. So get your nose out of my business!"

Clarissa walked away, her hair bouncing down her back. Medicham followed her, apologizing to the others before leaving. Solidad sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"She's a handful," she commented. "I've seen her contests on TV, and it seems like she's still a rookie. But… well, maybe she'll come up with something."

"Maybe… anyway, show me that combination!"

* * *

Monday brought an influx of coordinators, the likes of which May had never seen before. Within the crowd came Harley and Drew, and May conveniently spent her day at the pool, 'relaxing' before training in the evening. The area was practically silent, with only a few patrons actually using it. Although it was being used for the Grand Festival, the huge hotel also was open to the public, and spectators of the event. Most of the coordinators were out training all day, so the hotel itself was practically empty, and May could get away with not thinking about contests.

Or so she thought.

"May!" A male voice called from the sun lounger next to her, and she set this week's edition of Coordinators Weekly- all about the Sinnoh Grand Festival, of course- on her knee, looking to her left. She was expecting Drew or Harley, but upon lifting her sunglasses, she was pleasantly surprised.

"Brock?"

"The one and only!"

"What are you doing here?" She asked incredulously, a smile breaking out across her face.

"A friend invited me, so I'm taking a break from the gym to watch. I've finished with school for the year, so I can finally relax."

"Wait, school?"

"Didn't anyone tell you? I'm studying to become a Pokémon Doctor!"

"Wow, that's so cool!"

"And I'm still the gym leader back in Pewter, so I'm studying all week and then doing gym battles all weekend. It's a tough life."

"I can imagine," May smiled. "So, are you still in contact with Solidad?" She laughed, knowing no other coordinator she knew would be inviting him to watch contests in other countries.

"Yeah," he chuckled, rolling his eyes. "She's not interested in me, but we get along pretty well. She's one of the few big celebrities from Pewter, so I always rope her in to city events. She opened the new museum just a few months ago!"

"I'm glad! What about Ash, how's he doing?"

"Last I heard he was in Unova, but he could've easily moved on without me knowing. I'm sure he'll be headed on to Kalos soon, since it would be the logical next step. Or maybe he's already there."

"I'd love to visit Kalos," May said dreamily. "It seems like such a nice place."

"The last Rock Type Gym Leader Conference was there, and let me tell you, it's lovely. You should definitely go one day," Brock confirmed with a nod of his head.

"I'm taking a year out from coordinating next year to work on the Pokédex and stuff, so I'm sure Professor Birch would approve if I went out there!"

"Why are you doing that? Your season has been going great here- I've managed to catch some of your contests on TV."

"Well, I just want to take a break. I want to travel more, and go to the weird places in regions where they don't hold contests. Like… Pokémon Tower, and Snowpoint Temple, and the Whirl Islands! I miss doing proper tourist stuff, y'know?" May said with a shrug, and Brock laughed in response.

"I hear you. We did a lot of that in Hoenn, right?"

"Yeah! There's a lot of Sinnoh I'd like to reexplore now that I'm older, too."

"That's a good idea- oh! Hey, Solidad!" Brock said, looking over behind May. She turned around to see Solidad enter the room; with the person she least wanted to see in tow- Drew.

"Brock, you made it!" Solidad exclaimed, making her way over to the man and sitting down on the end of May's sun lounger.

"Nice to see you!"

"You too," she said, a sincere smile on her face.

"Hey, Brock," Drew said coolly, standing behind May. She didn't turn round to look at him, making her annoyance still known. Although she fully intended to apologise to him, she couldn't help but still be bitter towards him.

"Hey, Drew! Are you two still friends, then?" He asked, nodding his head at May. Drew opened his mouth to reply, but May beat him to the punch.

"Yep!"

"Yeah, uh... May, I need to talk to you. It's kinda important," he said, and sighing audibly, she swung her legs over the side of the sun lounger and onto the floor. She stood up, setting the magazine down on the lounger again.

"Fine."

"Do you wanna go somewhere else, or something?" He asked, sending a furtive look in Solidad's direction.

"Sure."

"Okay then."

"Fine," May repeated, and the two took off, May lifting her hoodie from the back of the lounger. She wasn't really appropriately dressed for the sort of conversation she knew was about to happen, with only shorts and a bikini on, so she zipped her hoodie up, retracting into slightly.

They found seats across the other side of the pool, a small bench concealed from the view of Solidad and Brock by the shrubbery on the island in the middle of the pool. May avoided looking at him, instead staring into the water, watching the tiny waves bump into the edge of the pool. Drew picked at a loose thread in the hem of his shirt, determined not to speak first, despite being the one who wanted to talk to May.

"I'm sorry," they said suddenly, at the same time, surprising each other.

"What are you sorry for?" Drew asked. "It's pretty obvious what I'm sorry for, but…"

"I'm sorry for reacting the way I did. I shouldn't have run off. It was… well, childish. It's better to run away from your problems than deal with them, right?"

"So you think I'm a problem?"

"Drew, _no_. You know that's not what I meant. I was scared, I guess."

"What, you've never kissed a boy before?" He asked, suddenly back to his usual teasing self.

"Well…"

"I'll take that as a 'no', then."

"Drew!"

"But seriously, I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have… well, yeah. I shouldn't have tried to kiss you. That was weird."

"A bit," May laughed. "Can we… talk more about this after the Grand Festival? I want to focus on training and my Pokémon, and not _boys_. Especially not annoying ones with green hair."

"Hey, that's a low blow and you know it."

"Whatever. It's true."

"But… yeah. I think that's a good idea. I don't want to be thinking about overbearing cute brunettes either."

"I may be overbearing, but at least you didn't forget that I'm cute," May laughed. "It's time for me to get back to training, so… I'll see you later, Drew."

"Have fun," he said, giving her a small wave as she disappeared through the automatic doors and back into the hotel lobby.

* * *

Thursday brought about a change at the resort, with almost every coordinator leaving the area in an attempt to finalise their moves and make sure their Pokémon were in perfect condition for the event. Tension was running high, and May had seen more than one coordinator crying, comforted by their friends or Pokémon. It was a stressful time, and May was feeling the nerves herself.

The only people who were immune, apparently, were Solidad and Harley. Solidad was always chilled out anyway, and was used to competing in such big events. Harley was a different story- he waltzed onto the beach, where May was brushing Altaria in preparation for the appeals the following day. Without his signature Cacturne hat he was almost unrecognizable, but May saw him in time to be defensive.

"What a lovely Pokémon! Are you going to be entering it in the contest?" He drawled, sitting down gingerly on the sand.

"Yes, Harley, why else would I be brushing her?"

"Wow, no need to be so _hostile_. You know, your little boyfriend Drew was acting a similar way earlier."

"He's not my boyfriend!" May denied fervently, shaking her head.

"Well, there's definitely something going on between you," Harley said, holding his hands up defensively.

"Even if there was, it'd be none of your business! What did you come over here for, Harley, to make fun of me and annoy me? You know that everyone's stressed because the contest starts tomorrow, and honestly, you're not helping matters at all!"

"I came to ask you about your appeal. Is it true there's a water battlefield?"

"Harley, there's always a battlefield for water Pokémon," May sighed, returning Altaria to her Pokéball. "And since there are three stages, if you request it, you'll be on the stage where that's available."

"What about you, any special requests for you this time? I have to say, turning the lights off in the Hearthome Contest caused quite a stir! I'm surprised you didn't win with that!"

"Drew was the better coordinator on the day," May shrugged, standing up and brushing herself off. "He deserved the ribbon far more than I did anyway. He's a better coordinator overall."

"I wouldn't necessarily say that, honey. I think you're very talented. You just need a way to show it."

"Trust me Harley, if people don't think I'm at least kinda talented by tomorrow, I'm never entering another contest ever."

* * *

May couldn't face eating, and sleeping was also a struggle. She lay awake for hours, until the clock beside her read three a.m. and she couldn't face it anymore. Deciding to cut her losses for now, she got up out of bed, and headed downstairs, swimsuit on and towel in hand. The pool was open twenty-four hours, although there was no lifeguard at this time of night. She didn't expect anyone else to be there, so when she saw another figure swimming in circles in the darkness, she nearly jumped out of her skin.

She set her towel on a sun lounger, stripping off her shorts and hoodie and sliding into the water, curling up in a corner to get used to the water before moving. The lights from the pool itself and the streetlights from outside illuminated the area, giving it an almost ethereal glow. Under any other situation, May would've found it creepy, but she was too tired and nervous to care. The other swimmer was moving towards her, but she stayed still, hoping they would go past her.

"Can't sleep either?"

"I didn't expect to see you here, Drew."

"I rarely sleep before big events like this," he confessed, treading water in front of her. It took a few blinks for his face to focus, but eventually it did, and May smiled.

"I usually can, but… well, I feel more nervous this time. I couldn't even eat at dinner!"

"That's how we know that something's up with you, May," he laughed, swimming beside her to rest at the edge of the pool.

"Solidad showed me her appeal the other day, before you arrived."

"Really? I'm surprised she trusts you that much not to copy it," Drew said with a raised eyebrow, but May shook her head.

"I doubt it was the real thing. It didn't seem flashy enough, polished enough. It wasn't _Solidad_ , you get me?"

"I do. Her appeals are always a combination of grace and power, which is exactly what the judges want from coordinators. That's why she's so good."

"She's only won one Grand Festival out of the… what, five she's entered?"

"Well, in her first two years, she was really only getting started. It usually takes two years to get good enough to get a good way through the battles round, never mind win it."

"Says Mr. I-Came-Second-In-My-First-Grand-Festival," May retorted with a smile on her face.

"Says Miss I-Got-Into-The-Quarter-Finals-In-My-Second-Grand-Festival-Which-Is-Still-Above-Average."

"Whatever."

"Any other juicy gossip you want to share with me?"

"I saw Harley today, and he was trying to get me to tell him what I was doing for the appeals round. I'm not making _that_ mistake again."

"No surprises there. I'm pretty sure he just recycles other people's combinations with his own Pokémon. I've definitely seen the Ariados/Octillery one he did in Hearthome before."

"With the web on fire?" May asked, and he nodded.

"Of course, and Pokémon that knows String Shot and any fire type at all can do it, so it made it more interesting that he used Octillery, a water type."

"Ever the analyst, aren't we?"

"Well, you have to be able to analyse to be able to figure out where others are going wrong and what you can borrow from their performances," Drew explained, before pausing. "Don't tell me that you _don't_ analyse every single performance and evaluate them before coming up with your own ideas?"

"No… not really. I mean, I do of course take inspiration from others, but… well, most of my ideas are straight out of my head."

"That's why your appeals are always so good," Drew said, staring into the water. "They come straight from your brain and aren't tainted by other's opinions and ideas."

"I'm going to take that as a compliment," May muttered, narrowing her eyes.

"Trust me, it was."

"Well, thank you, then."

"On the topic of criticism, have you seen Clarissa? I've managed to avoid bumping into her, if she is here."

"Yeah, she's here all right. She yelled at me and Solidad on the beach when Solidad was training, but she put Clarissa in her place."

"I'm glad she did. She's possibly one of the most annoying Pokémon Trainers I've ever had the misfortune of meeting."

"I have to agree with you. She hasn't been nice to me at all, any time we've met, even outside of coordinating."

"If you get a chance to battle her, you better beat her."

"Don't worry, I intend to. And don't forget about your promise!"

"We'll meet in the final, even if I have to beat Solidad to do so."

"One of us is going to have to beat her, and I know I can't, so… it better come down to you," May nodded, sealing their deal.

"You should sleep. Get a couple of hours before the contest," Drew said, his voice quiet and warm.

"I will. If you do too!"

"I can't promise anything."

"Well, I'm going to try and sleep anyway. Thanks for this very enlightening talk," May said, hauling herself out of the water.

"Goodnight, May."

"Goodnight. Good luck tomorrow!"

* * *

 _AN: Fun fact, chapter twelve was supposed to be the last chapter in my original plan. Oh well! Chapter sixteen will actually be the last chapter, if I've planned right! c:_


	13. Chapter 13

When he awoke on Friday morning, Drew felt like hell. He had only managed two hours of sleep- impressive for the fact that the Grand Festival was happening right now. He dragged himself out of bed, showered, and fixed his hair for the best part of half an hour before he decided that he was acceptable for such an event like this.

His 'costume', so to speak, was hung up in the wardrobe provided by the Pokémon Centre. It had stayed in its suit bag, a secret from any visitors. It wasn't part of his act, but he wanted a fresh look for the day. Almost all coordinators got a new outfit for the Grand Festival, something flashier and grander than any outfit they'd worn during the ribbon-collecting period. For Drew, this wasn't hard- he had just put glitter on a tie and pinned a glittery rose to his lapel. For May, however… well, that outfit was going to be hard to top.

He slung his suit bag over his arm, lifting his bag with his Pokéballs in it from beside his bed. The arena was just beside the hotel, and from his window, he could already see the hordes of spectators waiting to get in. Registration ended at eleven- more of a check of who was there than anything else. They let the audience in after that, with a gracious hour to find their allocated seats. Drew was cutting it fine as it was, leaving the hotel with only five minutes to go. But it would be fine- unlike some other people; he was almost ready to get on stage.

He left the hotel to loud screaming from fans, mainly of the female variety, and had the good grace to ignore them as he went past. A news reporter called his name out as he walked past, but he merely held a hand up in response. He didn't want to miss the cut off point, much less try and fail to speak to someone at a time like this. He scurried into the arena, showing his pass off to the receptionist, and making his way backstage. TVs covered every possible space, covering all angles of the stage, which was currently empty. Another camera was positioned outside, and he saw the news reporter from earlier practically screaming into the camera.

"Good morning Sinnoh, and welcome to Sinnoh Now!" She called, pointing straight into the lens. "This is the first day of the biggest event of the coordinating calendar in Sinnoh, the annual Sinnoh Grand Festival! We here at Sinnoh Now will endeavor to bring you all the coverage of this event over the weekend, from the appeals today to the final on Sunday afternoon! Stay tuned with us all weekend and don't miss a second! I'm Rhonda, and I'll be your host for this prestigious event, along with my co hosts, Jessilina, a former coordinator, and Gabby, an expert in the art of the interview!"

Drew got bored after that, and disappeared into the dressing room. For once, it wasn't hectic. The smell of hairspray and the visible glitter was ever prominent, but there was no screaming. It seemed oddly calm, but maybe that was purely down to nerves. He slipped into his suit, tailor made for him (he had been saving), and sat down in front of the mirror.

Clothes were always a problem for him. Not many colours went with green hair, and after his attempt at a full aqua outfit in Johto, he knew May would never forgive him if he wore something so over the top ever again. He settled for black instead. Gold epaulettes donned his shoulders, and a gold tie set off the plain shirt. His cufflinks were gold, and he had even managed to find gold shoes. Okay, so it wasn't much fancier than usual, but it would do. He knew that he would never manage to outdo Harley, no matter what he did.

As if on cue, the man in question entered the room, grabbing a can of hairspray from the counter and liberally applying it to his head. Drew glanced over- he really _had_ gone all out. There was a cape, yet again, but instead of the usual cheap sequined one, this one had clearly been specially commissioned. It was black on the outside, but under the right lighting, it subtly sparkled. Of course, subtle wasn't really Harley's style, so the inside was glittery green, and if you squinted hard enough you could see the residue on Harley's suit. It was white, with a darker green cravat tucked neatly into his waistcoat. Drew didn't have the heart to correct him on the proper wearing of a cravat, and escaped before the older man noticed him.

"Drew!" A familiar voice called, and he turned sharply to his left, to see May and Solidad standing against the wall, positioned in front of one of the TVs where Rhonda was still spewing about the contest.

"Hey, guys," he said noncommittally, making his way over to stand with them.

Solidad's outfit was a far cry from her usual practical yet fashionable clothing. She was decked head to toe in gold sequins, and she shifted uncomfortably in place, the light reflecting off them and casting gold dots onto the walls around them. Her shoes were gold as well, and her hair was straighter than usual, falling down her back in an elegant cascade.

May was a whole other level, however. Her dress barely brushed her knees, a pure white, and Drew could just make out the glitter in the material itself. A silver belt adorned her middle, and silver shoes tapped nervously on the ground. Her hair was curled tightly, forming a neat bob, and a bow with a star in the middle sat atop her head. She tied her fingers together, and Drew noticed the bangles around her wrists, and more importantly, the ring positioned carefully on her finger.

"You look great," Solidad greeted. "Are you sure you two didn't plan your outfits in advance? You practically match!" She pointed out, giving the two another once over. It was true- Drew's black and gold matched perfectly with May's white and Silver.

"What can I say, we look great," May smiled, crossing her arms. "But I haven't had my hair done this way in ages, and I feel about twelve."

"You look good," Drew complimented, and she smiled, her own silent thanks. "But have you seen Harley? He's really outdone himself this time."

"He was talking to us earlier," Solidad said, offering a strained smile. "It's certainly impressive."

"To say the least."

"Well, it's the Grand Festival, you've got to look your best," May said, and they all nodded in agreement.

"Let's watch the commentary," Solidad suggested, turning back to watch the TV. Rhonda had now been replaced by an eccentrically dressed pink haired girl, who seemed to be offering some semblance of real analysis. She had the bet maker's board beside her, and Drew spotted Solidad's name at the top, with May's only a few positions below her. His was way down near the bottom, and at this point, Drew knew he wouldn't even vote for himself. He spotted Clarissa as well, only two positions above him. Well, at least he knew he would be able to beat _someone_.

* * *

" _Marian, coordinators, we're live in five, four, three, two…"_

The last number was silent as the cameras switched on and went to Marian, accompanied by the manic cheering of the crowd. A quick jingle played, and the title disappeared, leaving Marian the whole centre of the screen. The atmosphere backstage changed almost automatically, from complete nervousness to tense excitement. Finally, _finally_ , all their hard work would come to fruition, with one person standing in the room winning the ultimate prize. And of course, each coordinator was determined it would be them.

"Welcome, welcome folks, to the event we've all been waiting for! This is it, the highlight of the calendar, what everyone's been working towards, the Sinnoh Grand Festival!" Marian called, and the audience cheered, louder than they had heard at any contest before.

"This contest is different from many, in the fact that we play by the Double Performance rule, meaning that all coordinators must use two Pokémon at the same time! And because we have so many coordinators entering, we have three stages for them to perform on. So our magic behind the scenes team is sorting everyone out now into groups and sending them off to our other arenas, also filled with audience members! It's time to introduce our judges! Live from the blue stage, we'll go to Jessilina, a former coordinator and host from the blue stage!"

"Yes, yes, hello!" The pink haired woman called, smiling and waving to the camera. "It's Jessilina here, your wonderfully cute blue stage host! Here, we have Nurse Joy from the Pastoria City Pokémon Centre, and Mr. Sukizo from the Pokémon Fan Club!"

The crowd there went wild, ready for the cameras to pan around the stage. A fraction of the coordinators, including Harley and Solidad, were taken away, led by a runner to the backstage there. A camera then went to the green stage, and Drew was ushered out the door, outside with another group of coordinators. He hurriedly said his goodbyes to May, who he assumed must've got the best pickings of the red stage.

"Here on the green stage, I'm your host Gabby, from BuzzNav in Hoenn! We're sending this live to our viewers at home, and we know that some of the favourites to win are from our lovely tropical region!" She said, and Drew smiled, catching the end of her spiel as he entered the new building. "Here, we have the Nurse Joy from Veilstone City, and Fantina, the Hearthome City Gym Leader! It's a pleasure to see you both!" Her accent was unmistakably Hoenn, and Drew was glad that he got this stage after all.

"Thank you both!" Marian called, as the feed went back to the red stage. "As you all know, I'm Marian! And here, we have our judges: Nurse Joy from here at the Lakeside Resort, and Mr. Raoul Contesta, directors of the International Contest Committee!"

The crowd cheered yet again, and Drew's thoughts headed to May, stuck on the stage with easily the hardest judge. He prayed she would be alright, but he knew her chances were slim if she made even one mistake. May's coordinating style was all about risk, and Drew hoped that she wouldn't rely on that in such an event like this.

* * *

His name was called first out of all the people he knew, and he prayed he didn't miss any of the others while he himself was on stage. He was nervous as hell, and knew that his Pokémon were too. He was stressed, and had snapped at them more than once, leaving them slightly scared. He apologised every time, but still felt that something was wrong.

"Next up is Drew, from my favourite region of Hoenn! He's from the big city of La Rousse, so give him a big hand!"

He ran onto the stage- enthusiasm was everything this time. His Pokéballs were clenched in either hand, and he smiled, standing in his chosen position at the back of the stage. Unlike some coordinators, Drew knew the performance wasn't about him- rather his Pokémon, and how he managed to make the most of them.

"Quagsire, Butterfree, let's go!" He called, and the two Pokémon erupted from their balls in clouds of the letters respective to their names.

" _And Drew starts off with two very standard but cute Pokémon! How will he use this to his advantage?"_

"Butterfree, Rain Dance!" Rain showered down on the arena, and some members of the audience audibly complained about this.

"Now, use Water Pulse Quagsire! Collect those letters!"

" _And of course, Rain Dance powers up all of Quagsire's Water Type moves! An excellent idea on Drew's part!"_

"Now, Butterfree, use Psychic and shatter the water and the letters!"

Butterfree's eyes lit up, sending the water flying towards the audience. It was controlled, however, stopping just short of the barrier and crashing towards the ground.

"Now, Sunny Day! And Quagsire, Water Gun!"

Butterfree shot a beam of pure light towards the ceiling, replacing the previous rain effect with warm sunshine that the audience eagerly lapped up. Quagsire's weak attack was shot straight up too, and evaporated quickly in the harsh sunlight, leaving only mere traces of water vapor that the made the Pokémon shimmer- Butterfree's scales and the webbed paws of Quagsire standing out particularly.

" _What an excellent performance from Drew! Let's go to our judges and get our scores!"_

"It was wonderful! An amazing use of water and light, and not even on our water stage! Truly magnificent!" Nurse Joy praised, giving Drew a solid forty four out of a possible fifty.

"It was… lacking. I would have liked to seen more from Quagsire, and I felt it was too static. However, the effect achieved was _magnifique_!" A thirty-seven flashed up on Fantina's screen on her desk, and then the final total of eighty-one on the main screen. It wasn't his best performance by far- appeals were proving to be difficult here, but at least it was above eighty, the usual cut off point.

Drew made his backstage, sitting down at one of the tables and resting his head on his arms. His legs were shaking- the adrenaline of the day had already worn off, and he needed desperately to get coffee as soon as he could. Luckily for him, there was an instant coffee machine along the back wall, and although not as nice as the proper blended stuff, caffeine was caffeine.

When he returned, taking his seat up once more, he turned his attention back to the screen, where a familiar girl with magenta hair and an over the top lemon coloured dress ran out onto the stage, waving at the crowd.

" _This is Clarissa, from Sandgem Town in the south west of Sinnoh!_ " Jessilina cried, and the girl waved shyly at the audience, a U-turn from how the unbearable coordinator usually acted.

"Milotic, Gyarados, let's get busy!" The two dragon-like water Pokémon landed in the water, diving deep and resurfacing, looking majestic and powerful at the same time, a tricky feat. Loath as he was to admit it, Clarissa had trained them well.

"Both of you, Aqua Ring!" The two Pokémon were slowly surrounded in water, drawn from either their bodies or the pool, Drew couldn't quite tell. It was paler than usual water, and shimmered under the light, the spotlights shooting straight through it and making the Pokémon look almost outlined in blue.

"Now, Gyarados, use Waterfall!" The Pokémon roared in response to her command. It wasn't the most attractive, and certainly wasn't built for coordinating, but that was all the more reason for Clarissa to use it. It stood out, and made her memorable. A pillar of water emerged from the water, Gyarados's doing, and the Pokémon slithered to the top, resting its long body atop the attack.

"Milotic, Ice Beam! Freeze the pillar!" On command, Milotic did just that, and within seconds, what was easily flowing water was solidified. Gyarados coiled itself around the frozen Waterfall, and slid back down into the water with a surprisingly gentle splash.

"Please, Iron Tail, Milotic, and Gyarados, use Slam!"

The ice pillar cracked beneath the pressure the two Pokémon were applying to it, and soon shattered, the cubes of ice flying over the arena, landing carefully in the water and melting almost immediately due to the difference in temperatures.

" _Let's see what the judges thought of that!"_ Jessilina called, not sure what to make of the almost abrupt ending.

"It looked beautiful, however I feel like there was something missing," Nurse Joy said sadly, handing a thirty nine out.

"It had no coherent ending, leaving me feeling unremarkable," Mr. Sukizo agreed, giving the same score. 'Seventy Eight' flashed onto the screen, and Clarissa returned her Pokémon, leaving the stage a little dejected.

* * *

The day was dragging out already. With almost three hundred coordinators participating, and their appeals, allotted for five minutes each, even on three separate stages, took up a long time. Regularly scheduled breaks took place, so the audience both in the stadiums and at home didn't get too bored. However, this didn't account for the coordinators backstage, either bored out of their skulls or so nervous it was making them physically sick.

After the first break of the day, the cheering of the crowd from the blue stage was even louder than before. Drew turned his head to the screen on the left, and saw the unmistakable sparkle of Solidad's dress swishing onto the stage. Naturally, as both a crowd and judges favourite to win, she had the arena in the palm of her hand, and without saying a word, she had control over not only the audience, but also the whole region, and even beyond.

"Swanna, Raichu, let's do this!" She called, tossing two Pokéballs high into the air above her. Raichu landed on the stage in front of her, while Swanna floated over the water. A multitude of hearts surrounded them, and with a fast beat of her wings, Swanna blew them away over the audience.

"Let's do our thing," Solidad commanded, including herself and her Pokémon in her words. That was what made her so good- her teamwork with her Pokémon was completely unrivalled. "Rain Dance, Swanna!"

Drew glared at the TV screen- it had only been an hour ago that he had used that very move himself. Of course, he had his own use for it, and he knew that Solidad's performance would have a much better use for the attack. Rain poured down onto the field, splashing in the water and creating ripples.

"Now, Swanna, Hurricane! And Raichu, prepare yourself," she addressed with a nod, and Raichu's cheeks sparked with electricity. Swanna flapped her wing towards the surface of the water, and suddenly, an unmistakably powerful gust of wind entered the stadium, taking everyone's breath away. Swanna flapped her wings in a rhythmical motion, keeping the wind at bay, right where Solidad wanted it. The Hurricane took form, lifting droplets of water from the pool with it.

" _I've been told that Rain Dance makes the chances of Hurricane working 30% higher, which is clearly why Solidad called it before hand,"_ Jessilina informed,holding her finger into her ear piece. Solidad smirked- they'd picked up on that.

"Now, Raichu! Thunder!"

With a loud squeak of approval Raichu dashed forward from it's resting position at Solidad's feet, stopping at the edge of the stage. It's cheeks crackled once more, before it released the attack, devastatingly beautiful. Swanna flew out of the way, and it cut the hurricane in two. The force of the moves blew the water out to the side of the stage, almost (but not quite) soaking the first row of the audience. Solidad bowed, graciously retuning her Pokémon to their Pokéballs.

 _"That was quite unlike anything we've seen all contest long! Let's see what our judges think."_

"It was truly spectacular! In only three moves, Solidad has proven why she is a Top Coordinator, and material for a second title!" Nurse joy praised, and the number fifty flickered onto her screen.

Backstage, jaws were hanging open. Not only did the weight of Solidad's performance shake everyone, but the fact that she got a fifty was shocking. Drew smirked- Solidad was one of his best friends, and to see the reaction she elicited from others was astounding. He felt like clapping, and made a note to congratulate her when he saw her in person later.

"Wonderfully remarkable! Almost technically perfect!" Mr. Sukizo commended.

 _Almost._

Forty-eight flashed onto the screen, replaced by Solidad's picture and her final score of ninety-eight. Jessilina stepped in front of the camera once more as Solidad left the stage, and was frustrated by the immensity of the cheering at the blue stage.

"Well well, I'm sure that'll be the score to beat! We have just less than one hundred and fifty appeals left to go, so we're halfway through the day! Stay tuned to see if any more appeals will top that!"

Drew sighed in relief. The word 'almost' stuck out at him like a sore thumb. He couldn't personally find anything wrong with Solidad's performance, but perhaps to Mr. Sukizo's trained eye, something was clearly wrong enough to warrant a penalty of two points. Despite that, Drew understood that Solidad would most likely be top of the leaderboards.

He got another coffee as soon as the clock struck three thirty, trying to keep himself awake. He wasn't allowed back into the main stage building until the appeals were over, when they would announce the sixty-four coordinators getting through to the battle rounds. It was a minute number in comparison to the huge number of people competing, and even smaller compared to the number of people who had tried to get in and failed.

" _Here on the main stage is a favourite to win, from Hoenn-"_ Marian's voice called, and Drew sat up straight. Here it came- the appeal he'd been waiting for. _"It's May Maple, from Petalburg City in Hoenn!"_

She walked calmly onto the stage, waving politely with both her hands. Her Pokéballs were attached to her belt at the back, Drew observed, and once she was in her position, she took two off, and tossed them gracefully into the air.

"Altaria! Glaceon! Take the stage!

The two Pokémon erupted without seals, making the two Pokémon look bare and exposed. There was a moment of murmur from the audience, before May held a hand up to silence them. Clearly, Drew thought, she had a plan, and he just hoped that it was well thought out and practiced.

"Glaceon, use Frost Breath! She called.

" _Using an Ice Type Move on a Dragon and Flying Type is a risky move! What is May's plan?"_

The translucent and shimmery smoke quickly poured from the Ice Type Pokémon's mouth. The smoke quickly obscured Altaria, and Drew had to wonder why she was doing this. A look of almost nervousness past over her face, before it was replaced with determination, and she threw one hand up into the air.

"Altaria! Connect your heart with mine and Mega Evolve!"

A loud caw came from Altaria, and suddenly, the ball of smoke was filled with light, causing not only the Frost Breath to shine, but also Glaceon, and even May's dress. She had involved herself with her Pokémon, although subtly, and Drew couldn't help but smile at how far she had come since the last Grand Festival. Of course, she still had time to mess up, but he knew she wouldn't. She _couldn't._ Altaria emerged from the attack in a different form, blowing the haze away with a careful beat of her wings. The crowd went wild- this was probably the first time they'd seen a Mega Evolution in real life, and it was spectacular.

"Now, Altaria, use Draco Meteor!" Altaria tipped its head to the ceiling, and released a pulse of energy, that dissipated and returned as hundreds of tiny meteors.

"Glaceon, Ice Beam!" May commanded, and the Pokémon quickly reacted, freezing each of the meteorites in turn, that shattered into a gloriously glittery power as they hit the stage. With a sweep of its wings, Altaria gathered the dust, spraying it ceremoniously over itself, Glaceon and May, who giggled happily in response. She took her bow, and the crowd went wild. Sparkles and ice were always a crowd pleaser, but the Mega Evolution had made the appeal that bit more interesting.

 _"Let's go straight to the judges!"_ Marian announced. _"I'm at a loss for words! Nurse Joy?"_

"Astounding! Magnificent! Really, words don't do this credit!" A red fifty appeared on her desk, and May audibly gasped. Drew set his coffee cup down, glancing at the screen in front of him with nerves that he could physically feel.

"I dislike giving perfect scores for appeals, but in this case, I think it's necessary. Never before have I seen Mega Evolution used as an integral part of an appeal!" Another fifty appeared, and the main screen flickered to show May's portrait and a perfect score of one hundred.

The crowd went wild with excitement, and May's mouth merely hung open. Drew knocked his coffee cup over, grabbing his PokéNav to send her the world's fastest congratulatory text. Backstage, other coordinators were ready to fight her- she hadn't even made it through the appeals round of the last Grand Festival, and now she got a perfect score. It sounded ridiculous, but she had done it, and Drew couldn't be prouder.

* * *

The appeals ended without much more controversy, and all the coordinators found their way back to the red stage. Everyone had a vague idea of who was getting through, but with scores like Drew and Clarissa's, it was impossible to tell. Many of the appeals had been visually disappointing, although well thought out. Mr. Contesta had given some shockingly low scores this year, including in the single figures, meaning that the number of coordinators getting through from the red stage was bound to be low.

Drew found May and Solidad quickly, with Harley floating angrily behind the. His appeal hadn't gone according to plan, although his score ending up being higher than Drew's by a few points. Without hesitation, Drew headed straight for May, wrapping his arms around her in a tight embrace. She laughed, almost apologetically, and Solidad raised an eyebrow at him, which he ignored.

"I'm so happy for you," he said, letting go reluctantly. "Your appeal was amazing. And Solidad, you were so close to that perfect score!"

"I was only 'almost' technically perfect," Solidad reminded bitterly.

"What was that about?" Drew queried, still outraged over that injustice.

"Raichu's foot slipped as it launched Thunder. It almost fell into the pool. It was a fair deduction, in my eyes."

"Two points for a foot slip?" May asked. "That's ridiculous!"

"They have to be tough," Solidad sympathized.

 _"Alright folks, here they are!"_ Marian's voice called, and every head in the room turned to one of the many screens, now all broadcasting from the red stage. _"The sixty four lucky coordinators that are progressing to the second stage!"_

Slowly, painstakingly, the sixty four images appeared on the screens. May was first, and Solidad second, and after that, Drew didn't recognise anyone. Harley appeared at the end of the second last row, and Drew's breath hitched. Would he still make it? But yes- in the middle of the bottom row, he managed to scrape his way in. Clarissa also managed- getting in by the skin of her teeth in last position.

"We all made it!" May exclaimed, jumping happily on the spot.

"Some of us will need to work extra hard to prove their worth now, won't we?" Solidad said, aiming at Drew.

"I intend to," he replied, watching the screen as it shuffled the cards into battle pairs. They turned over, one at a time, and Drew's heart sank when he saw he'd be battling Harley in the first round.

"Well, Drew, you better give me a good battle. I'm not going to lose against some pushover like you!" Harley chided, leaning over Solidad's shoulder.

"I promised May I'd meet her in the final, so I have no intention of losing!"

 _"And that's it, folks! Thus concludes the first day of ceremonies at the Sinnoh Grand Festival! We've narrowed the field down to sixty four coordinators! We hope you'll rejoin us tomorrow for the first three rounds of battles, where we'll get our field down to eight ahead of the finals on Sunday! But for now… keep coordinating!"_

* * *

 _A/N: This chapter got so long ;; the next chapters will be long too, but I can make up for it in (hopefully) quality content! c:_


	14. Chapter 14

The first battle of the battle rounds was always sure to be a crowd pleaser, no matter who the coordinators were. So when Drew and Harley took their places at opposite ends of the battlefield, the crowd went wild. Not only was the usual excitement palpable, but both coordinators were famed throughout the coordinating world. Their rivalry, mostly unexplained, but stemming from a general hatred of each other, was well known, and this match promised to be a good one for that reason alone.

 _"Welcome back, folks, to this, the first round of the battles here at the Sinnoh Grand Festival! The Double Performance rule still stands, and we have five minutes on the clock! Either a knockout or point depletion will end the battle, otherwise whoever has the most points at the end of the battle will proceed into the next round! First up, we have Drew and Harley, two rivals hailing from the Hoenn region! This promises to be a good battle! Alright! Let's start the battle! Begin!"_

Marian's speech was as enthusiastic as ever, but Drew wasn't feeling up to battling. Watching from backstage with the other sixty-two coordinators, occasionally some being ferried away to other stages to speed the process up, May and Solidad could tell this. His facial expression was almost dead, and there was no light behind his eyes. He threw his two Pokéballs wordlessly, releasing Roserade and Absol onto the stage.

"He's nervous," Solidad commented, tilting her head to the side slightly and narrowing her eyes.

"It's obvious," May agreed, her voice full of worry. "He's never lost against Harley, so he has almost a perfect chance of winning."

"Harley's been training hard, though," Solidad pointed out, folding her arms. "He wants to win this. He has been coordinating for a long time, so who can blame him?"

"Still, I'm worried about Drew."

"I think the only thing you can do for him is have a coffee waiting for him when he gets back," Solidad advised.

Reluctantly tearing her eyes from the screen just as Harley released a Drifblim and his Banette, May made her way to the other end of the room, where an instant coffee maker and a vending machine stood. Another screen was positioned there, and after putting her coins into the machine, she watched intently as Drew made his first move.

"Absol, use Dark Pulse!" He commanded. Those four words had more energy put into them than his stance- it was clear that Drew intended to finish the battle as quickly as he could. A dark type facing off against two ghost types was an extremely good match up in Drew's favour, but Harley didn't intend to give in so easily.

"No way that'll work! Protect, Banette darling!" The light green barrier appeared instantaneously, deflecting what could've otherwise been a devastating move.

"Fine, Roserade, use Giga Drain on Banette! Absol, use Calm Mind!"

The aura given off by Absol's move was enough to start Harley's points on a downward spiral, continued by the direct hit of Giga Drain. Roserade's cape fluttered gently behind it as it landed from its jump, and Banette crashed inelegantly into the ground with a loud thud, meaning that more of Harley's points were shaved off.

"Drifblim, Ominous Wind!" Harley called, and the Balloon Pokémon floated forwards, intent on sending it's attack more towards Roserade. It was unavoidable, but with one word, Drew turned it to his advantage.

"Spin." Like a ballerina, Roserade hoisted itself onto one toe, and used the momentum from the Ominous Wind to make itself look good. "Now, Petal Dance!" Still spinning, Roserade summoned petals around itself, and fired them towards Banette, who had only just struggled to its feet once more.

The coffee machine beeped that it was done, and May absent-mindedly collected the cup, adding milk and putting on the plastic lid without tearing her eyes from the TV screen.

"Ugh, that was dirty, Drew!" Harley complained, sneaking a glance at the scoreboard, where his points were less than half and Drew had only lost a quarter. "Now, Banette, use Shadow Ball! And Drifblim, help it out with another Ominous Wind!"

"Absol, deflect it with Dark Pulse and send it right back!"

Even if he couldn't score points with his own move, Drew's specialty was turning the tables on his opponent. Absol jumped into position in one fluid movement, firing the move from all directions to guarantee a hit. The darkness imbued Shadow Ball combination flew back to Harley's end of the battlefield, knocking both of his Pokémon over. His points took a serious hit, and were teetering on the edge of elimination. One more wrong move and he would be out.

"Let's keep at it, Drifblim, Banette, sweeties! Drew isn't going to win this one," he yelled through gritted teeth. "Use Stockpile, Drifblim!"

"What use is that?" Drew sneered, some of his confidence coming back. "Roserade, Petal Dance again!"

The flurry of petals flew towards Harley's Pokémon, and before the move even hit, the buzzers went for point depletion, and Drew took a step backwards. He had won. May flew back to Solidad, who had a pleased smirk on her face.

"He did well, don't you think?" She asked.

"I think he did wonderfully," May confirmed, watching Harley's usual post match breakdown. He really wasn't a good loser.

* * *

Solidad and May's matches went on without a hitch, both coordinators coming out on top. May hadn't needed to resort to Mega Evolution again, secretly hoping she wouldn't need to until the finals, if at all. It tired both her and her Pokémon out, and was something she could really do with avoiding if at all possible. Now knocked out of the competition, Harley sulked in his seat at the back of the stadium, and as she left the field after her battle, May could feel his eyes glaring down onto her back.

The thirty-two remaining trainer's faces were thrown back onto the screen, and shuffled once more into sixteen pairs. These matches would lead into the final round of the day, with the quarter and semi finals and finals taking place on Sunday. That meant May had two more battles to win today to take her that step closer to the finals and the Ribbon Cup. At this point, the Ribbon Cup was far out of her sight- with opponents like Drew and Solidad still firmly in the competition, her goal was to defeat (or if luck was on her side, avoid) them.

Once the shuffling was over, the bracket was revealed, each card flipping over in turn. Drew and Solidad were safe- her match second, and his in the middle. However, as the final cards turned, May's stomach dropped. Of course she would be the one to battle Clarissa. She couldn't afford to battle such an opponent so early in the second round. Although the few times she'd battled Clarissa, or caught her battles on TV, she suspected the younger girl wasn't giving away anything. And although she had sneaked through to the battle round in last place, she knew the girl could do fancier, better appeals. It was only a matter of time.

"You better beat her," Drew commented lazily, downing the last of his second cup of coffee and tossing it carelessly in the bin. "You're a lot better, you deserve to go through to the next round."

"I agree," Solidad nodded. "And after the way she behaved on the beach, I think I know who the better trainer is. She put herself ahead of her Medicham, that much was immediately obvious to me."

"Thanks, guys," May said, twisting her fingers in knots.

"However, I don't think it'll be an easy battle," Solidad continued. "Her Medicham looked in almost perfect shape, and her Milotic and Gyarados she used in the appeals round also were extremely well trained. Pick your Pokémon well," she advised, and May caught the subtle nod that Solidad seemed to be giving just her.

"Do you know who you're using yet?" Drew asked, dropping his voice in case Clarissa was standing behind him at the time.

"I'm thinking Venusaur and Clefairy," May admitted. "They work surprisingly well together. Although… I don't think I have any specific combinations for them."

"You have a couple of hours, unlike me," Solidad noted, as a runner came towards her to escort her into the corridor for her battle. "You'll think of something. Good luck, in case I don't see either of you before."

"Good luck to you too," Drew commented, and May nodded in agreement. "What are you going to do with those two, then?"

"I have no idea," May said, before a grin appeared on her face. "I may go with your _favourite_ move, Metronome. It's still a good possibility for some spontaneous combinations, and they're always the best."

"Don't you dare!"

"For that reaction, I'm definitely doing it," May smirked, running a hand through her hair, not caring for the curls that adorned her hair yesterday. The perfect ringlets had fallen out as she slept, and not bothering to do them again today, she left her hair wavy around her shoulders. Maybe she would make the effort again tomorrow.

"I just hope it doesn't get you kicked out," Drew sighed, sitting dramatically on one of the benches in front of a screen to watch as Solidad made her way onto the stage.

"When has it ever?"

"You make a good point, but there are moves that are illegal under Grand Festival rules."

"And what is the likelihood of Metronome pulling one of those? Let's face it, I'm prone to Defense Curl and Fire Spin."

"I just don't want to see you knocked out for a stupid reason like that. I want to battle you before the end of the contest, still."

"I know, I know. Fine, I'll use Metronome _sparingly_ if you promise not to pull any weird combinations out of the hat."

"Deal."

* * *

"You're not going to win this battle, May!" Clarissa called from the other end of the battlefield, as the timer clicked on. "Houndoom, Medicham! Let's get busy!"

"Venusaur and Clefairy, take the stage!" May called, sending her own Pokémon out in a flurry of flowers. She didn't dignify Clarissa with a response, merely ready to start the battle. Both Drew and Solidad had won their battles, and she was determined to join them in the next round. Only one more round for today, and that was it. Three tomorrow, and the Ribbon Cup would be hers.

"Houndoom, use Fire Blast! Finish Venusaur off right away!" Clarissa said, snapping May back into the moment. She had to respond now, or both her Pokémon could be roasted.

"Double Protect!" She called quickly, and Clefairy jumped onto Venusaur's back, both Pokémon bringing up a defensive shield, slightly different shades of green, to dissipate Houndoom's attack. The flames scattered, and both sides lost points, although Clarissa's edged slightly lower.

"Well if sheer force won't work, we'll have to try something fancy! Medicham, get ready with Psychic! Houndoom, use Dark Pulse!" The Pokémon loosed the attack, not particularly worrying for either Pokémon, but Medicham's sudden movement of never opening it's eyes changed, and they glowed blue, along with the Dark Pulse. The combined moves fired towards Clefairy and Venusaur in a concerning fashion, but May was on the ball, ready to respond.

"Venusaur, use Vine Whip to deflect!" With intricate patterns drawn in the air, Venusaur managed to move most of Clarissa's combination, although both Pokémon were still hit, causing May's points to drop rapidly.

"Clefairy, use Lucky Chant!"

"You think making your chance of a critical hit will actually help you?" Clarissa laughed. "This has gone on too long already!" In one dramatic movement, Clarissa grabbed her sash from her dress, tearing it off, and for the first time, making May aware of what exactly was placed in the middle. It was just as Solidad had subtly warned- Clarissa could also use Mega Evolution. "Medicham, let's join hearts! It's time for mega Evolution!"

" _And there it is! May isn't the only trainer in the competition with the use of Mega Evolution, and I doubt this will be the last time we'll see this pulled out!"_ Marian yelled into her mic. The crowd was going wild, and for a moment May panicked. But she calmed herself enough to think. Clarissa's Medicham was taking up all of everyone's attention, so this was her chance to attack Houndoom. " _Without Altaria, what is May going to do? She doesn't stand a chance against a Mega Evolved Pokémon like Medicham!"_

"That's where you're wrong!" May called. "Clefairy, use Metronome!"

She could practically hear Drew hitting his head against the wall backstage, but knew this was her only chance. She wanted to win by knockout- that was the true show of strength for a coordinator. Although Drew's preferred method of point depletion, and Solidad's favour of letting time run out while having complete control over the battle was also effective, this was her way- a gym leader's daughter was going in for the kill. So when Metronome pulled Focus Punch, she knew all her Christmases had come at once.

"Now, go for Houndoom!"

The tiny pink Pokémon barely stood a chance against either Medicham or Houndoom normally, but in this case, she might be able to pull it off. Clefairy's fist collided with Houndoom's face as the light from the Mega Evolution faded, revealing not only Clarissa's Mega Medicham, but also a close to fainting Houndoom.

"Houndoom, stay back for a while, recuperate! Medicham, you're in charge! Use Calm Mind and stay alert!"

"Well," May smiled, as Clefairy returned to her feet. "Now that your Medicham is taking a rest, I suppose we can get on with the main show!" May's left hand hovered over her right, until her skin made contact with the Mega Ring on her finger. "Venusaur, connect your heart with mine, and Mega Evolve!"

" _And there it is! Proof that May has multiple Pokémon that can mega Evolve! I'm sure this will make her the opponent to beat, even after all the other amazing performances we've seen today!"_

May knew she was referring to Solidad's performance, when she didn't take a hit once, and she lost no points, despite the battle going on the full five minutes. Solidad's battling style was torture for the opponent, but it was _effective_ , and that's what mattered.

Mega Venusaur was quickly ready to rejoin the fray, and May was ready to go. But it wasn't time yet for her showstopper - with more than half the time still to go, it would only exhaust Venusaur. So, once again, she took a risk, in classic may fashion.

"Metronome!"

Clefairy wagged its fingers, and the whole arena was on edge, waiting for whatever it would pull from the seemingly infinite possibilities the Pokémon had to choose from. A ball of light appeared in its hands, and May's face broke into a grin. It shot towards the sky, and soon there was harsh light, forcing most of the audience to squint. It didn't disappear though, and May's performance was complete. Sometimes, she got lucky with moves like this, and today was clearly her day.

"Now, Solar Beam, Venusaur!" Because of the Metronome pulling Sunny Day, the move charged immediately, firing towards Clarissa's Pokémon. She'd been panicking since May's Mega Evolution, and May wasn't giving her any room to maneuver. The attack flew towards Medicham and Houndoom, who had gathered enough energy to stand by Medicham's side again. It's burst of energy was short lived though, as Solar Beam took it out, causing the buzzer to go off for Clarissa to return Houndoom to it's Pokéball.

"Fine, you may have got it, but you'll never take down Medicham!" Clarissa said, a mix of anxious and triumphant. "Use Focus Blast!"

"I'm not letting this battle go on any longer!" May cried out. "Venusaur, Frenzy Plant, and Clefairy, use Moonblast!"

As Clarissa's move flew towards May's Pokémon, roots appeared through the ground, tearing up the battlefield and trapping Medicham. Clefairy dodged its move with ease, hopping across the roots to find the perfect position for its move. It took it up, and soon its fairy type power was flying towards Medicham at unbelievable speed. Not being able to move, Medicham look the brunt of the move, and its Mega Evolution wore off. It had fainted, and a buzzer went off to signify a fainted Pokémon.

" _That's it! With more than a minute and a half left on the clock, May has defeated both of Clarissa's Pokémon! She'll be advancing onto the next round, which we'll announce the match ups for in just a second!"_

May returned her Pokémon, waving at the crowd on her way past, back to where her friends were waiting, big smiles on their faces. They were all one step closer to the finals, and when the match ups for the third round of battles came up, they were all relieved to find they were battling against other trainers. Clarissa stormed up behind May, facial expression displaying all her pent up emotions throughout the season.

"I'll never let you forget this! You defeated me, and that's… that's unacceptable! I'll get you for this one day, May," she spat.

"Clarissa, that was a fair battle, and you battled well!" May offered, her words falling on deaf ears.

"Save it! You dare come into our country, without even knowing what a super contest is, and then beat a national to a place further in the competition?"

"There are so many people here from other regions-"

"You're scum," she snarled, glaring at both Drew and Solidad as well for good measure before storming off.

"That could've been worse," Drew said, folding his arms and raising one eyebrow. The smirk on his face wasn't concealed at all, and May had to stifle a laugh.

"You battled well. You had a good handle on the situation," Solidad commended.

"If she had more of a type advantage, or Mega Evolved her Houndoom, I'm sure it would've gone the other way. In fact, I'm not sure why she didn't do that," May pondered.

"Nerves, probably. She probably regrets that now as well," Solidad suggested.

"Only one more round for today," Drew said, cracking his knuckles. "Let's make it through to tomorrow."

* * *

A knock came to May's door close to midnight. She had eaten late, and nerves for the next day were starting to settle in. Safely through to the quarterfinals, along with Drew and Solidad, she could breathe easy, but she knew that the next battle, and any subsequent ones, would be the hardest of her life. Making her way to the door, she ran a hand through her hair once again- the millionth time today, it felt like. She unlocked the door, and wasn't at all surprised by who was standing outside.

"For your Beautifly," Drew said, passing a rose across the threshold towards her. "She performed excellently today. As beautiful as usual."

"I'm sure she'll love it," May laughed, taking the flower from him and depositing it on the dresser by the door. "Do you want to come in?" She asked nervously, and upon Drew's half nod, she held the door open for him. He closed it behind him, and she made her way out to the balcony, where she had been watching the late night partiers and some of the other final eight coordinators getting in a final bit of practice.

"How are you feeling?" Drew asked, leaning against the railing.

"Not too bad, considering. Though I am nervous," May admitted.

"Aren't we all?" He laughed, turning his head to face her. "I have a top coordinator reputation to uphold, as does Solidad, and you're trying to get it for the first time. For us, no less than top four will see us still popular, and I know all you want to do at this point is win."

"You better hope we don't meet in the quarterfinals then," May joked.

"Nerves are natural," Drew said, slightly unrelated to what they were talking about directly before. To May it sounded like he was trying to convince himself more than her, so she reached for his hand, taking it in her own.

"It'll be fine," she smiled as his eyes flicked to meet with hers.

"One of us has to beat Solidad," he reminded, bringing both of them back to earth. "And if neither of us does it, it means there's someone even stronger."

"It'll be fine," May reiterated.

"I hope you're right." He stayed silent for a moment, until the plaza outside the hotel seemed to quiet down completely, and they were alone, only the moon watching over them. "I should go. I only came to give you the rose."

"Goodnight, Drew," May said, stifling a not so obvious yawn.

"Goodnight, and good luck," he returned, bravely pressing a kiss to her cheek before escaping out the door before she could chastise him. To tired to yell at him, she merely smiled, making her way to her bed, where she quickly fell asleep.

* * *

Both May and Drew cruised through their quarterfinal battles, and were now facing the semi finals. The last battle of the round, Solidad's, was ongoing, and although she did have a narrow lead, her opponent was trying his best to keep at bay, and she was steadily losing points. To see Solidad in such a sticky situation was unusual to say the least, and May could tell that the audience was on edge.

"This isn't looking good for her," Drew said with a grimace.

"She's still in the lead, and her Pokémon don't look too tired. She's got a minute left to pull this back," May returned, still having complete faith in Solidad.

"I hope you're right. It would be a real upset if she lost here, after her successes thus far in the season."

Turning her attention back to the TV, May noticed that the clock had ticked down to thirty seconds. Solidad was desperate- her Lapras and Raichu were tiring quickly now, and realistically she only had time for one more combination. Her opponent wasn't letting up on the offense, and wasn't giving her time for a decent defense. If she wasn't in this contest, the other trainer easily would've won, but Solidad wasn't going to let them get any further.

"Lapras, use Protect, and Raichu, Discharge!" She called, and her Pokémon moved into action. It was clear that this would be the last move of all in the battle, of the round, as the clock ticked slowly towards zero. Lapras engulfed itself in green, effectively raising a barrier to stop Raichu's otherwise devastating attack from harming it. The Mouse Pokémon took the middle of the battlefield as it's own, stopping to release the move, firing electrical waves in all directions and hitting both of the opponent's Pokémon.

The timer went then, as if on cue, and Solidad nodded solemnly. She had hung on, by a few points, and her opponent was knocked out. She graciously offered her hand to the younger trainer, who had done outstandingly against a pillar of coordinating such as Solidad, who shook it, clearly holding back tears.

" _The winner of this battle, by just a few points, look at that folks, it's Solidad! She advances on to the semi finals, and we'll announce the match ups for that in just a moment, after a short commercial break!"_

Solidad appeared backstage once more, an arm wrapped comfortingly around her opponent's shoulders. May and Drew moved forward to congratulate her, but she shook her head, escorting the younger girl into the dressing rooms.

"I'll be back in a minute, but I'll probably miss the match ups. Tell me who I'm battling against, okay?"

"Sure thing," Drew nodded, watching grimly as she walked away.

"One of us is going to have to battle her," May said, stating what Drew didn't want to say. "And it's going to have to be now."

"Unless we get matched together," Drew said, the optimistic one for once.

"No. I want to battle you in the finals, not now!"

"It's fine, May."

"I know I can't beat her. So… well, it better be you. And you better beat her."

"May…"

" _Welcome back folks! Can you believe it; we only have three battles left of the Grand Festival! We'll get through two now, and after a break for our finalists to heal their Pokémon and rest themselves, we'll rejoin back here at six o'clock for our Grand Final!"_ Marian started. Her overly enthusiastic voice cut through May- she was blissfully unaware of the struggles and nerves of the four remaining trainers backstage. May had never seen the other coordinator in her life, but he was seated on the floor, holding his head in his hands. Solidad had left to comfort the other girl, and probably excused herself from the stressful atmosphere. Although Drew looked calm, he was drumming his fingers incessantly on his thigh, a sure sign that he was nervous. May herself felt sick to the stomach, and her only solace would come if she didn't have to face Solidad in the next round.

" _But of course, first we have to decide who's going through to the finals, and set up our match ups for the semi finals! We have four talented coordinators left in the competition, and they now have to fight for a spot in the final! Let's see who'll be battling each other!"_

The four faces appeared on the screen, and the computer shuffled them, before flipping each card over. May was paired with the man seated on the floor, and Drew was to battle against Solidad. May heard his breath hitch, and she instinctively reached out for his arm to comfort him.

"May, there's no way I can beat Solidad."

"No, you can! I believe in you!"

"May, I'm serious-"

"So, who I am I battling in the semis?" Solidad asked, returning to the room with a pleasant smile on her face. May glanced at Drew, who bravely took a step towards her.

"Me."

* * *

 _A/N: Sorry for no update last week! I was finishing exams, and then I was at a con, so I was too exhausted to write anything coherent (you should see the first draft of this chapter it was like 400 words long) anyway! Only two chapters left to go! I was originally going to put the semi finals in this chapter too, but it would've been way too long so. Tell me what you think! c:_


	15. Chapter 15

Their names were called almost immediately, and while Marian went through the final few rules for the last battles, Drew and Solidad were separated and ushered to different sides of the stage. Drew was nervous. Nerves weren't uncommon, but this was different. It went past the sort of nerves that were good, that made you perform well. This was altogether scarier- the type of nerves that made you feel as if you were going to be sick. Only moments before, May was begging him to defeat Solidad, and standing backstage, he knew this was a promise he wouldn't be able to keep.

" _And now, let's get right to the first of our semi final battles! On our right, we have Solidad, from Pewter City, and on the left, it's Drew from La Rousse City!"_ _  
_  
"I wish you the best of luck. Not that you'll need it," she said, two Pokéballs ready to go in her hands.

"Solidad, I'm battling you. I don't think even luck can help me now," he responded.

She laughed at that, a high-pitched laugh that was so different from her usual one. Drew could tell she was feeling on edge- after all, it had been a long time since they had battled. In fact, Drew reckoned that it was back in Kanto, when they first met, and they hadn't had the chance to since. Drew had come a long way since then- a coordinator that had cried when he lost and snapped at his friends when things weren't going his way had turned into a top coordinator, someone that was well respected within the community.

" _There's five minutes on the clock! Ready? Go!"_

"Arcanine, Flygon, go!"

"Lapras, Raichu, I choose you!"

"Let's do this, Arcanine! Fire Blast!" Wanting to finish the match quickly, or at least put up a good fight while Solidad pummelled him into the ground, Drew opened with what would usually be a finishing move. For once, the Legendary Pokémon listened to him, responding quickly to his command. The attack flew across the stage towards Raichu, who, without command, sidestepped, allowing the move to crash into the barrier.

"This is a contest Drew, not an ordinary battle! And you're going to need more than that to defeat me," Solidad reminded. He had watched all of her recent battles, and needless to say, he hadn't seen her as serious as this in a while. When it came down to it, she was perfectly capable of getting serious. And, in a way, he was honoured that she considered him enough of a rival to get serious with. "Use Sheer Cold, Lapras!"

That was a risky move if ever Drew saw one, but he knew that because it was Solidad, he had to be worried. Although Sheer Cold depended entirely on level differences, Lapras was Solidad's first Pokémon, and was arguably better trained than any other Pokémon here at the Grand Festival. So when the move shot towards Flygon, intent on hitting, and he knew he could do nothing about it. Even if the move wasn't a one hit KO, it was super effective, and Flygon hit the ground without a sound. The buzzer went off, and Drew reluctantly returned his Pokémon.

"Your Flygon didn't put up much of a fight," Solidad said, smirking despite of herself.

"Your Lapras didn't give me much of a chance," he admitted, clenching his fist by his side. "Let's do this Arcanine!"

Although the fire type rarely obeyed orders, now it seemed to be ready to do so, stepping into the middle of the battlefield, ready for action. His trainer shifted uncomfortably behind him, trying desperately to _think_. If it were anyone else standing on the stage, he wouldn't have a problem with it. But it was Solidad, and he knew that with only one Pokémon left, normal attacks really wouldn't cut it. And he could practically see May backstage, hands clasped in front of her chest, praying for him to beat the pink haired trainer and advance to the finals.

"Arcanine! ExtremeSpeed!" The Pokémon was gone in a flash, reappearing beside Raichu with a roar and hitting it, sending the Mouse Pokémon flying across the stage. Solidad's points depleted, but they got nowhere near as low as Drew's from the previous run in with Lapras.

"Good job on getting a hit in, but I'm not allowing any more," Solidad smirked, and Drew swallowed hard. Whatever it was she was planning, he knew it would be bad, and he gritted his teeth. "I know I like to use my five minutes wisely usually, but I want to advance to the finals as quickly as possible. So... well, I'm sorry to do this, but Lapras, use Surf! And then Raichu, use Discharge!"

Solidad's style was clearly being influenced by May- risk and improv weren't usually in her formula. But to use a field-soaking move like Surf, which would deal massive damage to Arcanine, and follow it up with Discharge, that would also damage Lapras, was something that Solidad would never have done before this season. The water splashed towards Arcanine, who couldn't move in any direction to avoid it. The fire type was doused, and cried out in pain as Drew's points fell even lower. Then the Discharge came, shocking Arcanine and making it fall to the ground. The scoreboard was incredibly uneven, with Drew's remaining points barely visible against Solidad's solid bar of points.

Arcanine collapsed, and the judges' buzzer went off, signifying not only Arcanine's defeat, but Solidad's victory. Drew dropped his head, returning Arcanine to its Pokéball with a mumbled thanks. Marian stepped into the middle of the stage, amidst the cheers of the crowd. Solidad returned both Raichu and Lapras, both Pokémon practically unscathed, just like her points bar.

" _And that's it, folks! Solidad knocks out both of Drew's Pokémon and wins the round! She will now advance on to the finals, where she will face off against the winner of the next match!"_

Drew walked bitterly off stage, ignoring Solidad's cries for him to wait and the rest of Marian's speech. He had failed both himself and May, and knew that the girl would never forgive him for breaking her promise. She was standing there; ready to go on stage herself. Her eyes were filled with tears, and one hand was in front of her mouth, trying desperately to stop her lip from trembling. He walked past her, not wanting to stop in fear of crying himself.

"Drew," her voice called, and his heart shattered. He stopped before the doors, and slowly turned to face her.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, his voice cracking.

"It's okay," she smiled, the last thing he was expecting. She moved towards him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. His own arms snaked around her waist, and she rested her head on his shoulder. His tears fell now, dripping onto her dress, but she didn't mind.

"Solidad..." He managed.

"I know. That was brutal. I've never seen her like that- she didn't even give you a chance." He drew back from her at that, holding her at arm's length.

"You have to beat her now."

"Drew, there's literally no way. I might not even win this next battle, never mind get through to the final."

"You will. I believe in you."

"Thanks," she said, bringing a hand up to his face and wiping his tears from under his eye. "You'll be okay."

"Go out there and win," he said softly, squeezing her hand gently.

"You might want to avoid Solidad for a while."

"I'll wait here until you're done. Then we can go get food or something," he offered, and she smiled.

"Even if I do get through, we have a few hours. I'd like that," she smiled.

" _Next up we have our second semi final! On our right we have Nathan, and on the left, we have May, from Petalburg City!_

"Break a leg," Drew said, and May let go of his hand, turning confidently on her heel and marching onto the stage.

* * *

May's battle lasted the whole five minutes, and it took a long time for the judges to decide who had won. The margin in points was so small, but eventually May came out on top. She shook hands with her opponent, and they parted ways, exiting the stage. He was smiling, unlike the loser of the previous battle, but he hadn't just been destroyed by someone he considered to be one of his best friends.

Drew was waiting, as he promised, a smile on his face. His eyes were still red, but his crying had stopped. May walked towards him, stopping just in front of him. She smiled softly, but her eyes showed panicked. Yes, okay, she had got through to the final of the Grand Festival, which she had never done before, but she was now facing off against the only coordinator she had never been able to beat before.

" _We're going to take a short break now, folks, to let our two finalists heal up their Pokémon in preparation for the final this afternoon! We'll see you back here at six, for the final battle!"_ Marian's voice boomed, and May's fake smile slipped away.

"Let's get that food, okay? We don't even need to leave the hall. I'll order some pizza, okay?" Drew offered, and May nodded numbly. "Go get changed, and I'll phone up."

She disappeared without another word, and Drew pulled out his PokéNav and dialled for the pizza shop he had been eating from for the past week. Placing his order, he wandered back through to the dressing room, where Nathan was sitting. Drew gave him a half nod, and sat down with a sigh. He ran a hand through his hair, and then decided it was best if he too got changed. Shedding his suit for more casual clothes, he left the dressing room and ran right into the person he least wanted to see.

"May told me you were upset."

"Yeah, did she? I wonder why," he spat, trying his best to walk past her. He was taller than her now, only by a bit, but that didn't mean she was going to let him do as he pleased.

"Drew, I understand that you're upset," Solidad started, but Drew cut her off.

"We can talk about this later. Right now, I have pizza to collect and May to calm down."

"You should be your own priority. May is old enough to take care of herself."

"Solidad. Please," he begged, and she relented, letting him past. "I'll find you later, if you still want to talk about this. But for now, I have other things on my mind."

"Oh. _Oh,_ " Solidad realised. "Well then. I wish you luck." She added a wink on the end of her sentence, and Drew walked away, faced flushed and mumbling a half-hearted 'shut up'.

* * *

"How many times now have you bought me pizza?" May asked, wiping tomato sauce off her chin.

"It's been like, twice," Drew laughed.

"Okay, but seriously, thank you. I really needed this."

"No problem. I think I needed the comfort food too. I, uh, I spoke to Solidad earlier." May's eyebrows shot up at this, and she set her slice of pizza down.

"And?"

"Well, first she asked me why I was upset, and then I explained, and then she... well, yeah," he finished, biting into his pizza to avoid having to explain more.

"I told her you were upset, but I didn't think she'd talk to you, at least not yet. I thought she'd be more tactful and leave it a while, but I guess I judged her wrong. I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault. It's mine, for losing, and I'm sorry I couldn't keep my promise."

"It's fine. I've pretty much accepted that Solidad is going to be the next Top Coordinator, again, but I'm gonna try to put up a good fight," she laughed. The pizza box was empty now, besides from the crusts that Drew had left behind.

"Which Pokémon are you using?" He asked, leaning back on his chair. They were still sitting backstage, but Solidad had left a long time ago, so there was no chance of her over hearing.

"Blaziken and Wartortle. They have the best combinations, and they're probably the most powerful. And Wartortle lost to her back when it was a Squirtle, so I think it'll work extra hard." She sighed, crossing and uncrossing her legs, running a hand through her hair and folding her arms.

"I don't know what Solidad will be using, but I can safely place my bets on her using Slowbro. It can Mega Evolve, so it'd be stupid for her not to. As for the other... your guess is as good as mine. I also thought she would use Butterfree for the finals, as it's a support Pokémon. She also hasn't used it yet in the competition, but… I imagine she might not use Butterfree, because she knows you'll most likely be using Blaziken, but... well, this is all speculation."

"I'll bear that in mind," May nodded. "I only have an hour to go before the battle," she noted, glancing at the clock.

"You'd best be getting ready, then. I'll leave you be. I'll be watching in the audience," he smiled.

"Thank you, Drew."

"Good luck."

* * *

 _"Welcome back to this, the final of the annual Sinnoh Grand Festival! Coordinators from around the country have gathered here over the weekend to test out their skills, and we've whittled them down to the best two! Both of you should be extremely proud of yourselves, as you've proved yourselves worthy of standing here through countless rounds of performance and battling! Without further ado, I'll introduce our coordinators! On our left, we have May, from Petalburg City in the Hoenn region! And on our right, we have a former Top Coordinator-"_ Marian paused for dramatic effect, at which the audience murmured with anticipation. _"Solidad from Pewter City in Kanto! Welcome to you both! Now, let's go! Five minutes in the clock!"_

The screen changed from the generic ribbon symbolising contests to the score board- May's face on one side and Solidad's on the other. May steeled herself- this was the last serious battle she'd have to partake in at this contest, and after it was over she could just rest. So she grabbed her two Pokéballs in hand, ball capsules and all, and got ready to fight.

" _Let's see a good fight! Go!"_ The command came, and May was straight out of the blocks, her two Pokéballs flying through the air.

"Blaziken and Wartortle, take the stage!" She cried, and her two Pokémon appeared in a flurry of flames and bubbles, appropriate for each Pokémon.

"Butterfree, Slowbro, go!" Solidad commanded. Her Pokémon erupted from their Pokéballs in hearts the disappeared within a matter of seconds. Solidad smiled. "Let's make this a good battle, May, from the start. Slowbro, connect your heart with mine! Let's Mega Evolve!"

So Drew was right after all. She had also gone with Butterfree; despite knowing it was probably the wrong decision. Solidad was risking her Butterfree fainting with one touch of a fire type move for the support it could provide to Slowbro. May had to think fast, and her only option was to reciprocate Solidad's move.

"Blaziken, Mega Evolve!" Here, she had the type disadvantage, but if she could defeat Butterfree, she could at least hold Slowbro at bay with Wartortle. This battle was going to be long, and hard, but May was determined to at least not lose too badly.

"Good choice," Solidad commented as the light from the Pokémon dissipated, leaving their Mega Forms behind. "Now, let's get started properly! Slowbro, Butterfree, Double Psychic!" Tuning out Marian's commentary, May had time to think. If the combination hit Blaziken, it would be all over, but Wartortle stood with a chance of deflecting it, or at least using it to its advantage.

"Wartortle, Rapid Spin!" It retracted inside it's shell, and span through the air. It caught the attention of both opposing Pokémon, and the Psychic attack was directed at it instead. "Now, spin faster!" With the aid of the Psychic, Wartortle could move towards Slowbro, it's own attack being used against it to attack. Solidad's points were depleted, and a smile crossed May's face.

"Well played. But we're not done yet! Slowbro, Hydro Pump!" The Pokémon was quick to react, and pushed Wartortle away. May's Pokémon was defenceless, still inside it's shell, and cried out as it hit the ground, head, arms, legs and tail reappearing.

"Time for a combination! Blaziken, use Flamethrower, and Wartortle, Bubblebeam!" May called out, and her Pokémon jumped to attention.

Drew, now seated in the audience, smiled. This was one of May's signature combinations, and from the look on Solidad's face, she knew it too. Guaranteed to hit, and powerful too, it always knocked points off the opponent. So as the attack flew towards Slowbro, and more notably, Butterfree, charged with electricity from the combination, Drew could only smile, knowing that may was fully able to pull of what he couldn't- a defeat of Solidad.

Slowbro was hit first, and fell, and Butterfree was soon after it, but both Pokémon recovered enough to stand up. Wartortle and Blaziken separated, and looked to their trainer for encouragement. May nodded in approval, and glanced at the clock. Just over three minutes remaining, and that last move had shaved a lot of points from Solidad. Of course, May had lost some points as well, but if things were to continue this way, she could win the battle, no problem.

"Don't think I don't combinations too, May! Slowbro, Hydro Pump again, and Butterfree, use Psychic to make it spin!"

Although extremely dangerous to her Pokémon, May could admit that this move looked beautiful. It was clear that Solidad's Pokémon had put a lot of effort into this move, and it was clear that it had paid off. The move almost hit Blaziken, but the Pokémon put its arms up to block and deflect the move just in time.

"Now's your chance, Wartortle! Ice Beam on Butterfree!" May called, and while the water dropped to the ground, the Psychic released, Wartortle took its chance to use a move on Butterfree. The aerial Pokémon dodged for the most part, but Ice Beam clipped its wing, causing ice to weigh it down. Butterfree was now flying lopsidedly, and was struggling to keep itself in the air.

"Okay, I'll admit I underestimated you. Your performances thus far have been nowhere near as good as what you're pulling out here. So, Butterfree, use Rain Dance!"

"You know that'll help me too, right?" May asked, as the rain started to fall on the battlefield. "Wartortle, Bubblebeam on Butterfree! Follow it up with Ice Beam for frozen bubbles!"

Frozen water type moves, May had to admit, were stolen from Dawn. They were a big thing in Sinnoh last year when she had competed in the Wallace Cup. So when training, May had the smart idea to at least practice the moves- they would score her big. And she was right. Before the move even hit, Solidad's points were depleted, and when Butterfree crashed to the ground, they fell even further.

The knockout buzzer sounded, and a camera flew into Solidad's face to get her reaction. Drew had to bite back a laugh- he had never seen the older girl so angry. She was down to one Pokémon, while May still had two, and she wasn't about to give up.

"Okay, Slowbro, Zen Headbutt!" Okay, so that was new, Drew noted. The Pokémon had never used that move before, and as it travelled across the stage towards Blaziken, he could see May's panic.

"Blaziken, use Blaze Kick to stop it!" Flames erupted from the bottom of Blaziken's leg, and it swung its foot to have contact with Slowbro's head. In a true power struggle, both Pokémon were shaking, trying their best to not let the other win. Eventually, Wartortle responded, firing an Ice Beam at May's command at Solidad's Pokémon. Slowbro was thrown off balance, and fell to the side, its tail betraying it.

"Get up, Slowbro!" Solidad called, her smile all but gone from her face. Instead, it was replaced by something else- determination. She was so close to winning, but May was standing in her way. "Hydro Pump!"

The move flew towards Blaziken, but as luck would have it, for May at least, the timer went off, and everyone in the room froze, turning slowly to look at the screen.

"Well, would you look at that?"Marian said, making her way into the middle of the battlefield, stepping over puddles and shards of ice. "In a major turn of events from the semi-finals, the winner of this battle, and the Sinnoh Grand Festival, is May Maple, from Hoenn! Congratulations!"

* * *

 _A/N: Yaaaasss go May! Also more contest moments! ;0 next week will be the last chapter! Stay tuned! c:_


	16. Chapter 16

A press conference took up most of the early evening. Despite the formal ceremonies being over by six thirty, May only left the contest hall by eight o'clock. Then she had to change, and make her way to the ballroom in the hotel for the after party. Practically everyone was already there- on her way into the lobby she noticed Brock escorting Solidad in by the arm. She didn't look particularly impressed, but was smiling all the same, cameras pointed in her face.

May escaped the lobby before her presence was noted by the paparazzi by the doors. She was never a fan of cameras, and thankfully the lift gave her some security until she reached her room. For once, she had been sensible, and had left her dress hanging up on the wardrobe. She tossed the white contest dress to one side, and slipped into the other. This one was red, floor length, and Solidad had helped her pick it out, so it was guaranteed to be good.

She fixed her make up too, smearing more concealer under her eyes to hide the exhaustion that had accumulated over the last few days. Coordinating was tiring work, and with all the extra training she had put in over the last few days, her appearance had clearly taken a toll too. Running a brush through her hair and destroying the ringlets she had put so much effort into this morning, she sighed. Of course, she was over the moon that she had won- she could finally call herself a top coordinator. But her mind kept flitting to Drew, and how he must feel after his loss to Solidad.

The lift seemed to take forever to come up to her floor, and once she stepped inside, she took a deep breath. It reached the ground floor in seconds, and she stepped out, her hells clicking on the marble. She made her way over to the ballroom, where, of course, she was stopped by multiple camera people, all of which she recognised as already haven taken her picture throughout the day. Her smile, albeit strained, was enough to satisfy them, and now the guest of the evening had arrived, they made their way out of the hotel or into the ballroom, hoping to get a few more photos for the inevitable spread in all the newspapers in the morning. She spotted the woman from Coordinator's Weekly, highlighted by her jacket, and made a mental note to avoid her for the rest of the evening.

In classic May style, she ignored the many people in the room, and headed straight for the buffet. A long table, with a gold tablecloth on it, was laid out along one side of the hall. Cake stands, platters and bowls covered it, and subtly lifting one of the bigger paper plates from the end, May made her way along, lifting whatever savory foods she liked. She decided she would come back for the cakes and biscuits later- the night was still young after all. She hadn't eaten properly today, aside from the half a pizza Drew bought before the finals.

"I thought I'd find you here," a voice came from behind her, and she whipped around, a smile on her face.

"You know me too well," she said, and Drew returned her smile, procuring a rose from his jacket pocket.

"For you. I think the coordinator deserves it this time, after all the effort she's put in."

"And what am I supposed to do with that?" She asked, motioning with her head to her filled hands. "I can't carry your rose and all my food, and sorry, but it takes priority."

"I'm not surprised," he said, rolling his eyes. "Fine, I'll carry it until you finish eating."

He made a move to leave from the buffet, and May reluctantly followed him, smiling at the passersby that congratulated her. He sat down at a table in the corner, where Solidad and Brock, along with a slightly unwilling Harley sat. She set her food down on the table, and without another word, started picking at it. She really had gone all out- no one else at the table would even have dreamed of eating that much.

"How's fame treating you so far?" Solidad laughed, sipping from her champagne glass.

"I wouldn't say I'm famous," May said between bites of bread.

"Just wait until the news hits the press tomorrow. Once the newspapers are out, you won't even be able to leave the hotel," Drew said with a grimace.

"I have to agree with him. You better have a plan to get out of here," Solidad nodded.

"Oh, let her be! Enjoy the evening, May, and don't listen to those two. They're always talking about their fame and fortune," Harley said dejectedly, rolling his eyes. Judging from the many glasses in front of him, he was already trying to forget his humiliating defeat at the start of the second round.

"She clearly is," Brock interjected, and May laughed, her plate of food diminished greatly.

"We should dance," Harley said suddenly, eyeing the few couples in the middle of the room who were swaying on the spot.

"This isn't really the sort of scene for your style of dancing, Harley," Solidad chastised gently. "Besides, you would need a partner."

"I'll go find a partner then!" He announced, leaving behind his glasses and empty plate. He stormed off, and May couldn't help but watch him as she went. He grabbed a random guy from the buffet table, and they started dancing. Although it wasn't elegant and refined like the other couples, it certainly was something to watch- their jerky movements combined with serious expressions made it unique.

"Care to dance?" Brock offered Solidad, who smiled, taking his outstretched hand.

"For once, I think I would." She left the table with a raised eyebrow in Drew's direction, which May didn't miss.

"For the record, I really don't want to dance, so don't bother asking," she warned, and he just laughed in response.

"I'm not good at dancing," he admitted, "so you're off the hook."

"I do, however, want some of the desserts."

"Shouldn't you wait a bit? You just ate, like, three dinners worth of food."

"Maybe you're right. Fine, I'll wait. But I will get them!" She said determinedly. Her PokéNav rang suddenly, and upon seeing the caller ID, May stood up, turning to Drew apologetically. "I have to take this. It's my mom."

"Go ahead. I'll be here if you need me," he said, and she pressed 'accept', eyes glancing round for an exit.

"Hey, mom! Wait two seconds till I get outside!" She laughed, covering the microphone with her hand.

There was a balcony not too far from where she was seated, with a staircase that lead down into the garden at the back of the hotel. She hadn't stepped a foot in it in all the time she had stayed in the hotel, but now she regretted not doing so. There were carefully carved out stone paths that converged in the middle with an illuminated fountain. Flowers and berries of many different colours made up the majority of the garden, with shrubs and bushes lining the path. Only a few other people walked in the garden- most of the people staying the hotel were in attendance at the party.

"Hey," May said into her PokéNav, smiling brightly.

"May!" Caroline exclaimed. "Congratulations! We're so, so proud of you. Practically the whole neighbourhood was round to watch the finals, despite the time differences!"

"Wow, that's embarrassing," May replied, rubbing the back of her head. "But… thanks."

"Are you at the after party now?"

"Yeah, I'm outside to talk to you. Honestly, I'd rather be talking to you than being in there. I'm exhausted after this weekend, and I can't wait to sleep."

"Are you coming home?" Caroline asked expectantly.

"Yep! I'll be back for a good while now. I'm going to take a break from coordinating for a while, I think."

"Really? But you just became Top Coordinator! Wouldn't that inspire you to work more, enter more contests?"

"I had this decided before I even won my five ribbons, mom. I want to come home, train as a proper Pokémon Trainer, learn how to battle from Dad. If he'll teach me, that is."

"Of course he will! You know, I think he always hoped you'd take over the gym one day, although I think he's now hedging his bets on Max doing it, since you took a different path."

"The fact that I'm a coordinator doesn't mean I can't be a gym leader. Like, look at Fantina and Wallace! They're both gym leaders that were former coordinators. Th-that's not to say I want to be a gym leader now, but… well, if Dad offered me the position I'd certainly think about it," she stuttered, smiling.

"Would you like to talk to your father? I'm sure he had his own words of congratulations for you."

"If he's not busy, that would be nice."

"It's a Sunday night May; of course he's not busy. In fact, I'm sure he'd be delighted to talk to you." There was a shuffling at the other end of the phone, and Caroline's motherly voice was replaced by Norman's gruff one.

"Congratulations, May," he offered, causing May to smile. "Your final battle was spectacular, just what I'd expect from my daughter." It was hard to catch, but there was a hint of pride in his voice, that made May's heart soar.

"Thanks. I've been training a lot, so I'm glad all my hard work payed off."

"It certainly did. You've come a long way from that first contest in Slateport City," Norman said, his breath catching at the end of the sentence.

"Dad? Are you… are you crying?"

"I'm just so proud of you. My little girl, Top Coordinator!"

"Stop it! You're going to make me cry too!" She smiled, wiping under her eyes to stop the tears that were quickly forming.

"I'm just sorry your mother and I weren't there to see it in person."

"It's fine, dad. Brock was here, and Drew was supporting me, and Harley too, probably. I hope, at least. And Solidad was so nice afterwards! And… well, thanks for phoning me. I know you haven't always believed in me, since I used to hate Pokémon, but… well, I'm really happy now. I finally achieved one of my goals!"

"So what now, kiddo? Onto another region?"

"No," May said, shaking her head, "I'm coming home. I'd… I'd like it if you could train me to battle properly, Dad."

"I don't think there's much I can teach you," Norman said honestly.

"Contest battles are a lot different than gym battles. That's something I learned over the last years. And I'd love to learn from you more than anyone else, since... well, you're my dad!"

"I'll see what I can do. But it'll have to be after the gym closes, so you'll have to find something to do during the day."

"That's fine! I want to help Professor Birch with the Pokédex, so I can do that during the day, and train with you in the evening."

"It's a deal."

"Thank you, Dad! I would hug you if I could, but… well, you'll just have to believe me," May laughed.

"I'll let you get back to the party. Have fun, darling."

"I will. Tell mom I say thanks, again."

"No problem. Good night, May."

"Bye, dad!" May said with a smile, and pressed 'end call' on the screen. She slipped her PokéNav back into her bag, and sat down on a metal bench, not wanting to return to the party.

The sky was dark now, with any hint of daylight obliterated by the moon. Most of the people in the garden had returned inside, leaving just May on her own on the bench. Not that she was complaining- it gave her time to relax. The weekend had really taken its toll, whether that be from general exhaustion or from using Mega Evolution three times over the course of as many days. She had read online something about it being bad for the trainer performing the act, but hadn't quite believed it until now. Whether it was a coincidence, or just her overactive imagination, she wasn't quite sure.

"I realised I never got to congratulate you," Drew's voice came from beside her, and she smiled, offering him the empty spot on the bench. He flicked his hair (honestly, she thought he'd grown out of that) before sitting down himself.

"Well, thanks," she replied, smiling at her knees.

"Does now count as after the Grand Festival?" Drew asked softly. May took a deep breath. She knew he had been leading up to this all evening, and part of her had left the party to avoid or postpone the inevitable. But she too wanted to talk about… well, whatever it was she could call it.

"Yes," she said finally, and he sighed.

"You give me really mixed signals."

"I'm sorry about that. I really don't mean to."

"Then what signals are you trying to give me?" He asked, taking one of her hands in both of his own.

"P…positive ones?" She sighed. "Look, Drew, I don't know anything about anything like this."

"Neither do I."

"Well, I guess that's one more thing we have in common."

"I've never… been in a relationship with anyone before. I've never had feelings like this for anyone apart from you." She turned to face him properly, his face as calm as it usually was. Her's on the other hand, was bright red, and the tears she'd managed to quell earlier were threatening to spill over once again. Luckily for her, the little light they had was concealing her complexion. "Hey, don't cry."

"I'm sorry," she whispered, tearing her hand away from him to wipe the tears away. "Sorry," she repeated, this time with a laugh.

"I'm just going to come out and say it, okay?" He said, taking a deep breath. "I really, really like you. In fact, I might even love you. I don't know yet. But what I do know, is that I want to make you happy, even if I don't really know how." He handed her the rose from earlier, closing her fingers around it. "I don't need an answer right now. I just wanted to tell you how I-"

He was cut off by her lips against his. His eyes widened at the sight of her closed ones, and he returned her kiss, lifting a hand to support her cheek. She grabs his free hand with hers that's not holding the rose. It didn't take long before she drew back, letting go of his hand to cover her face. His hand lingers on her cheek, before dropping to his lap. She takes a few deep breaths, and lowers her hands.

"I think that was the best way to show you how I feel. I'm not good with words."

"So, can we… can we make this a thing? I don't want to put a name on it, but…"

"I think we've been a thing for much longer than we thought. Like… I mean, have you ever gone on a date with another girl?"

"No."

"Exactly," she smiled. "Remember that time we went out for dinner in Floaroma Town? That was pretty much like a date, I think."

"That's when I really realised that I liked you," he said, casting his eyes to the ground in an attempt to hide his blush.

"There you go then."

"So what you're saying is, without realizing it, we've pretty much been a thing since we got here?"

"I mean, think about it!" May laughed. "Late night phone calls, coming to see each others contests, I think there was a lot of handholding…"

"I get your point. So what you're saying, is I could've said something back in Floaroma Town, and you still would've said yes?"

"I'm only thinking about all of this now. But I suppose so!"

"Which means I could've done this a lot earlier," Drew said, leaning in for another kiss. This time, he pulled away first, leaving May to pout angrily.

"We… should probably head back into the party."

"You're not gonna make me dance with you, are you?"

"No way! I'm still not wanting to do that," May replied, getting up from the bench and stretching.

"Can I hold your hand?" Drew asked nervously.

"You don't need to ask."

They walked hand-in-hand; slowly back up through the garden towards the hotel. They took the balcony steps up to the ballroom, where Solidad was waiting with a raised eyebrow. Drew gave her a halfhearted glare on the way past, but she ruffled his hair, noting with an obvious nod their intertwined fingers.

"Are you going to dance?" She asked as they walked past, only to receive a 'no' in perfect unison.

They took their seats at the table once again, going back to the usual May and Drew conversations that usually took place. Really, it didn't make a difference that they were a 'thing' as they so eloquently put it. It was just that now whatever they had had a name, instead of them just getting on with their lives and pretending their feelings didn't exist.

"So, what now?" Drew asked, returning from the buffet table with a plate full of deserts from May.

"Back to Hoenn," she said quietly. "And… I think you should go to Unova."

"No way."

"What do you mean, no way? Drew, I know you really want to go!"

"I'll do the Hoenn circuit again; become Top Coordinator of my home region. It's every coordinator's dream. I'll get a house in Lilycove or Slateport, so I have somewhere to go home to, and so I can get post."

"Is that your only priority?"

"I missed out on Mega Evolution because of it, so I think it's a pretty big factor, yes."

"Fair enough."

"And maybe, well, I was thinking, you could come and live with me. Maybe. At some point. Not right away!"

"We'll see where this is going by the end of the summer, and… well, we'll see," she said shyly, managing a smile.

"Getting back to Hoenn tomorrow is going to be a nightmare, though. What with all the paparazzi."

"Tell me about it. I'm dreading even getting out of bed."

"Hey, why don't we go now?" Drew suggested, his face lit up with his amazing idea.

"Drew, I don't think there's any boats to Hoenn at ten o'clock at night."

"Okay, but we can go to Sunyshore and get the first boat in the morning. The magazines will be waiting for you here, but you'll be gone, so there'll be no hassle."

"…You know what? Let's do it. Meet me in the lobby in ten minutes, okay? I have to pack."

"Deal."

May left the ballroom first, to avoid suspicion (mainly from Solidad), and headed up in the lift to her room. Her suitcase was stuffed under her bed, and she pulled it out, emptying the drawers and wardrobe and throwing the items in haphazardly. She folded her contest dress, and clipped her hair bow onto it. She stripped off her evening dress from the party, and changed into her shorts and vest that she had opted for wearing around the south of the region. It was perfect for Hoenn, and along with her sunglasses and hair tie, she was practically unrecognizable compared to her earlier appearance.

She swapped bags, too, from the black clutch to her backpack that she had used while travelling around Sinnoh. Cosmetics in the suitcase, and trainers on her feet, she grabbed her jacket by the door and lifted the room key from beside her bed. Giving the room a once over, she smiled, checking her PokéNav. There was a text from Drew- _in the lobby now. Hurry up!_ She left the room, locking it behind her.

The woman on reception looked tired, but she sat up straight when May approached her. Her hair was messy- probably from the long day. People had been in and out of the hotel all day, and she had probably been working from the morning, and she was probably working until the hotel closed. May slipped the room key onto her desk, and lifted the money out to tip the woman. Although free accommodation was offered to all participating coordinators, she still felt bad, and the woman smiled tiredly.

"Ready to go?" Drew asked, similarly out of his suit he had previously been wearing. He had changed into dark jeans and a turtle neck, paired with his usual purple shirt.

"I'm glad to see the aqua gone."

"Shut up," he laughed, and the couple wheeled their suitcases outside. The stalls set up from the Grand Festival had begun to disappear, although some vendors had clearly decided to wait until the next day to take down their stand. Maybe they were hoping for a little more business as coordinators and fans left.

May threw Altaria's Pokéball, and Drew Flygon's, and they boarded their Pokémon, balancing suitcases carefully on their knees. They took to the sky, heading in the general direction of Sunyshore City with only the stars and moon to light their way. Fortunately, the city wasn't too far, and from the air, the lights of the urban area could guide them. They landed after only about twenty minutes in the air, stepping onto the solar panels of the city.

"We can't really stay in the Pokémon Centre if we're trying to do the incognito thing, can we?" May asked, and Drew shrugged.

"Your sunglasses are a pretty good disguise, and no one cares about someone who only ended up in the Top Four."

"'Only' the Top Four, how horrible," May scoffed.

"Ssh. Anyway, I think you'll be safe. They won't be expecting you, anyway."

The orange light of the roof of the Pokémon Centre was still lit, meaning they were still accepting guests. Instead of asking for a room, May opted to stay on the sofas, claiming that she could get a comfortable enough sleep on them. Drew joined her, sprawling out on the sofa opposite her.

"We have to get a selfie to commemorate this day," Drew insisted, and May rolled her eyes.

"Really?"

"Yes, really."

"Fine. But don't post it until we leave tomorrow, okay?"

"Fine!"

* * *

 _coordinatordrew_

 _Mon. 19_ _th_ _June, 9;58am_

 _Look out Hoenn, we're coming back!_

* * *

 **COORDINATOR'S WEEKLY**

 **PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF HOENN MAKE AN EXCITING HOMECOMING- FINALLY TOGETHER?**

* * *

 _A/N: And that's it! As much as I hated writing those grand festival chapters (it took me like six hours to write one lmao i hate everything) I wrote this in less than an hour and a half because I was so pumped to finish it and I'm really pleased personally with how it came out! If you're reading this, thank you for supporting this fanfiction so far! And happy contestshipping week 2016! c:_


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